Union Minister Nitin Gadkari was in Iran on Tuesday for the ceremony of Iran's reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian and shared the stage with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh who was killed in an airstrike in Tehran on Wednesday, July 31.
Pezeshkian was sworn in as Iran's ninth president over three weeks after he defeated hardliner Saeed Jalili in a run-off election. The ceremony was also attended by senior officials from several countries including Armenia, Tajikistan, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Cuba and Brazil. European Union envoy Enrique Mora was also present, news agency AFP reported.
Seen on the same stage with Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari was Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas which launched an attack in southern Israel on October 7, killing hundreds and taking dozens of Israelis as hostages.
Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a predawn airstrike in the Iranian capital Wednesday. Iran and the Hamas blamed Israel for the assassination.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Gadkari conveyed good wishes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Pezeshkian on assuming the office.
"During Minister Nitin Gadkari's interactions in Iran, both sides positively assessed the state of bilateral relations, including cooperation on the development of Chabahar Port," it said.
In a post on 'X', Gadkari said: "Heartfelt congratulations to H.E. @drpezeshkian on behalf of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, the Indian Government and people of India."
"We look forward to continued collaboration and mutual growth, reaffirming our commitment to furthering India-Iran relations across various sectors for the prosperity and development of both countries," he said.
