India, Iran seeking practical solutions for Chabahar Port plan: Iranian envoy
Iranian ambassador Mohammad Fathali said India could play a very important and influential role on the international stage, particularly the Gaza peace process
NEW DELHI: Iran’s government is responding to public protests over inflation with dialogue aimed at seeking practical solutions to economic problems that have arisen because of “unjust sanctions imposed by the West”, Iranian ambassador Mohammad Fathali said on Thursday.
In his first interview with an Indian newspaper, Fathali spoke about India and Iran seeking practical solutions to continue developing the strategic Chabahar port so that it doesn’t become a “hostage to decisions of third countries”. He also highlighted the important role India can play in the Gaza peace process. Edited excerpts:
How is Iran’s government responding to protests in Tehran and several other cities? What are the causes of these protests?
The government has responded to protests observed in Tehran and some other cities with a responsible, dialogue-oriented approach. It must be emphasised economic and professional demands are a natural and common phenomenon in all countries, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a system founded on the will and vote of the people, recognises peaceful protest as a legitimate right of its citizens.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has clearly stressed the necessity of hearing the voices of the people and instructed authorities to pursue a path of dialogue and engagement by understanding the legitimate demands of protesters. These gatherings have been peaceful, and the government, within the framework of the law, is managing the situation and seeking practical solutions to reduce existing problems.
Regarding the causes of these protests, the most important factor is economic hardship, the root cause of which lies in the years-long and unjust sanctions imposed by the West on the Iranian people. These sanctions have directly targeted people’s livelihoods and created difficulties. Nevertheless, our wise and resilient people have managed these pressures, and the protests have remained limited in number.
The Iranian people have endured these conditions with patience, strength and unity, and the government is making every effort, through proper management, economic reforms, and use of domestic capacities, to reduce the effects of these pressures and respond to the demands of the people.
How will the new budget unveiled by President Pezeshkian tackle inflation and the rising cost of living?
The new budget unveiled by the government under President Pezeshkian has been drafted with the primary goals of curbing inflation, controlling the rising cost of living, and improving livelihoods. The Pezeshkian administration is focused on organising economic policies, providing targeted support to vulnerable groups, managing public expenditures, and strengthening domestic production to reduce economic pressure on the population.
It should be noted, however, that Iran’s adversaries constantly seek to exaggerate problems and ignore achievements to present a distorted and overstated image of the country’s situation.
This is while Iran, despite facing the most severe economic sanctions, has achieved significant and notable successes in various fields, including science and technology, healthcare, knowledge-based industries, infrastructure and indigenous capabilities. In recent days, we witnessed the unveiling of 12 new medicines for cancer treatment, and the simultaneous launch of three satellites in Iran.
Relying on these capacities, and with a realistic and reform-oriented approach, the Pezeshkian government is striving to control inflation, strengthen economic stability, and pave the way for sustainable improvements in people’s living conditions.
Given that UN and Western sanctions have impacted Iran’s economy, will Iran now speed up talks on the nuclear issue?
A: Iran has always supported dialogue and negotiation as a logical and diplomatic way to resolve disputes, and this approach has been a principled and consistent policy in Iran’s foreign policy. Iran has demonstrated on multiple occasions that it believes in constructive engagement and serious negotiations and has entered talks with goodwill.
However, past experiences show that while Iran was moving along the path of dialogue and nuclear negotiations, some counterparts not only failed to uphold their commitments but undermined the process through imposition of new sanctions, political pressure, and even hostile actions. Such behaviour has weakened trust and created serious challenges for the negotiation process.
Despite this, Iran’s position remains clear: We are ready for dialogue and negotiations, but such talks must take place within the framework of mutual respect, genuine commitment to obligations, and recognition of legitimate rights of the Iranian nation.
What are Iran’s priorities for relations with India in 2026, and to enhance trade that has been impacted by various factors in recent years?
Iran-India relations have deep historical, cultural and civilisational roots and have always been shaped on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests. Iran’s main priority is to strengthen economic and trade cooperation and to restore trade volumes to a level commensurate with real capacities of the two countries.
In trade, Iran emphasises expanding cooperation in energy, petrochemicals, transportation, ports, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, technology, and knowledge-based companies. Joint infrastructure projects – especially the Chabahar port and its role in connecting India to Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Russia – remain one of the key pillars of bilateral cooperation, and Iran is ready to advance these projects at a faster pace.
Alongside economic and trade cooperation, Iran seeks to expand collaboration with India in cultural, scientific, academic, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. Iran’s outlook for future relations with India is long-term, balanced and based on shared interests, and 2026 can be an important milestone for deepening and diversifying this cooperation.
How are India and Iran tackling the issue of Chabahar port, which has been granted a waiver for US sanctions for only six months?
Iran and India view Chabahar port as a strategic and long-term project that goes beyond short-term and political considerations and plays an important role in regional connectivity and the shared interests of both countries. A six-month sanctions exemption cannot serve as a basis for sustainable planning, and Iran’s approach is to continue cooperation without being influenced by unilateral external pressures.
At the same time, Tehran and New Delhi, through dialogue and close coordination, are seeking practical solutions to continue the development of Chabahar and believe this project should not become a hostage to decisions of third countries.
What role does Iran perceive for India in the Gaza peace process?
India, as an emerging global power, can play a very important and influential role on the international stage, particularly in the Gaza peace process. Given its global standing as a voice of the Global South, its broad relations with various actors and its strong record in supporting peace and stability in different parts of the world, India has significant potential in this regard.
From Iran’s perspective, the main priority in Gaza must be an immediate halt to attacks, an end to killing of civilians, delivery of humanitarian assistance, and support for rights of the Palestinian people. We believe countries such as India can play a very constructive role in resolving the Palestinian issue.
