Iran's president meets Indian PM in New York

By Muhammet Kursun

TEHRAN (AA) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met Thursday with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York.

The two leaders discussed regional issues on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, according to a statement from the Iranian Presidency.

Rouhani asked Modi to adopt an approach that solves the problems of the people of Kashmir.

Modi said India supports Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy and that it has only officially recognized UN sanctions and would not stop cooperating with Iran.

Rouhani said that India, an important country in Asia, has a long history with Iran and there is potential to further develop relations between the two countries.

He invited Modi to Tehran and noted that the visit will be held at a suitable time.

Rouhani pointed to the Hormuz Peace Initiative he presented the previous day at the UN General Assembly and the U.S. presence in the region.

"The security of Saudi Arabia shall be guaranteed with the termination of aggression against Yemen, rather than by inviting foreigners," he said.

"It is very difficult to expect the current situation to change as long as the U.S. does not believe the war in Yemen and its occupation by Saudi Arabia and the UAE will not yield results.”

He added that the methods of these military powers will just increase tensions.

Tensions have been escalating between the U.S. and Iran since May 2018, when President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from a nuclear pact that world powers struck with Tehran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in relief from economic sanctions.

Trump has since embarked on a campaign to scuttle the agreement, including the re-imposition of sanctions on Iranian crude oil that were lifted as part of the agreement.

*Writing by Dilara Hamit from Ankara