Hand-in-hand pic with Modi, Mojataba alive or dead: Iran President gets candid

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in an exclusive interview with India Today, shared his views on the viral hand-in-hand moment with PM Modi and the status of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.Iranian President Masoud PezeshkianAs the BRICS Summit kicked off in Delhi, one defining photograph has grabbed eyeballs - that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi walking hand-in-hand with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Speaking about the striking image in an exclusive interview with India Today, the Iranian President described it as a sign of increasingly close ties with PM Modi."Our relations with PM Modi, since the time I took office, are increasingly getting better," Pezeshkian said when asked about the viral moment. The remark by Pezeshkian is part of a broader interview with India Today's Group Editor (Foreign Affairs) Geeta Mohan. The full interview will be aired at 8 pm.Pezeshkian's visit to India for the BRICS Summit is his first since assuming the presidency in 2024. It comes against the backdrop of the US and Iran resuming tit-for-tat strikes following a brief pause in fighting for much of August. At the heart of the renewed hostilities lies control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which 20% of the global energy flows.Despite the conflict, India has maintained a cordial relationship with Iran while maintaining strategic and trade ties with Gulf nations - most of which have come under attack from Tehran. Pezeshkian underlined that Iran was working to strengthen ties with India on a daily basis, drawing on the countries' long-standing cultural links."India and Iran share deep cultural relations and a long history. This is something that will never change with time," the Iranian President stressed. Pezeshkian underlined that stronger cooperation between Tehran and New Delhi could help counter "growing totalitarianism" in the world - a veiled swipe at the US."We are trying to base our relationship on the deeply rooted culture. Stronger cooperation will help us in countering the totalitarianism that is developing in the world," he emphasised.'MOJTABA KHAMENEI IS ALIVE'Amid fervent speculation surrounding Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Pezeshkian clarified that he was very much alive and "doing his job"."The US has targeted most of our leaders. Mojtaba is alive, doing his job. America is not able to locate Mojtaba. That is why they are spreading propaganda," he said.- EndsPublished By: Abhishek DePublished On: Sep 12, 2026 12:59 IST