Iranian president arrives in India for BRICS summit amid war with US

• China, India 'arranging' bilateral meeting between President Xi Jinping and Premier Modi, says Beijing

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in India on Friday to attend a weekend summit of the BRICS bloc, amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict.

Pezeshkian is among several foreign dignitaries who have arrived in the Indian capital of New Delhi to join other leaders for the summit.

This is Pezeshkian's second overseas trip since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran in late February. Earlier in June, he visited Pakistan.

Pezeshkian is scheduled to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.

The visit also comes amid heightened maritime tensions between Iran and the US in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.

The BRICS gathering will bring together leaders from across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi early Friday, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to arrive on Saturday, in what would be his first trip to India in seven years.

Putin and Modi are expected to hold bilateral talks later Friday, while Beijing said the two sides "are arranging a bilateral meeting" between Xi and the Indian prime minister.

As many as 26 leaders and dignitaries are expected to attend, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

The expanded BRICS membership includes longtime members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, as well as more recent members Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The group also has partner countries including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

The last BRICS summit was held in Brazil last year, with China due to host the 2027 gathering.