Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian could meet on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, according to a report by the Times of India published on October 21. The two nations are reportedly now finalising details about the meeting.

Modi will attend the BRICS meeting in Kazan in Russia this week. The 16th BRICS Summit will be held from October 22-24. During this visit to Russia, PM Modi will reportedly meet and hold bilateral talks with a number of counterparts from other BRICS member nations. Non-members from a selection of specially invited countries could also meet the Indian leader.

According to the Times of India, if the meeting does take place, it will be the first bilateral meeting between the two leaders since Pezeshkian assumed office in July this year. The situation in West Asia is likely to be a major point of discussion during the BRICS Summit.

During the meeting with Pezeshkian, Modi is expected to raise the issue of a possible Gaza ceasefire and to underscore the need to prevent the conflict from spilling over into the wider West Asian region, the Times of India said.

In late September, Modi communicated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the tensions in West Asia and denounced terrorism. The Indian Prime Minister was among the first world leaders to denounce the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. Nevertheless, India has also called for a complete ceasefire and has expressed support for a "two-state solution" to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.