Doval meets Iran, Ethiopia officials at BRICS NSA Meet in New Delhi
Synopsis
On the sidelines of the 16th BRICS NSA Meeting in New Delhi, Ajit Doval held separate talks with Iran's Supreme National Security Council and Ethiopia's intelligence chief — signalling India's intent to use the expanded BRICS platform as a live diplomatic channel on West Asia and African security partnerships, not just a multilateral forum.
Key Takeaways
NSA Ajit Doval met Iran's Ghadir Nezamipour and Ethiopia's Million Lema Tadesse on 22 June 2026 in New Delhi .
India and Iran reviewed the West Asia situation and discussed cooperation under the BRICS platform.
India and Ethiopia explored avenues to deepen their Strategic Partnership .
The 16th BRICS NSA Meeting is hosted under India's chairship , themed around non-traditional security challenges .
Officials are reviewing outcomes of BRICS working groups on Counter-Terrorism and ICT security .
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held bilateral meetings with senior security officials from Iran and Ethiopia on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS National Security Advisors' Meeting in New Delhi on 22 June 2026, with discussions covering the volatile situation in West Asia, BRICS cooperation, and deepening bilateral strategic ties.
India-Iran Talks: West Asia in Focus
Doval met Ghadir Nezamipour, Deputy Secretary for Defence Affairs of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), on the margins of the two-day summit. The two sides reviewed the ongoing situation in West Asia — a region under sustained pressure from multiple conflict fronts — and explored avenues for cooperation under the BRICS platform alongside bilateral ties.
According to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, who posted the readout on X: 'NSA Ajit Doval, KC met Deputy Secretary for Defense Affairs of the SNSC of Iran, Ghadir Nezamipour on 22 June 2026 on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS NSAs Meeting. Both sides reviewed the ongoing situation in West Asia. They also discussed cooperation under the BRICS platform and India-Iran bilateral ties.'
India-Ethiopia Strategic Partnership
Doval also met Million Lema Tadesse, Executive Director of Analysis at Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service, with talks focused on enhancing the India-Ethiopia Strategic Partnership. The MEA stated that 'both sides explored areas of cooperation to enhance and deepen the India-Ethiopia Strategic Partnership.' The meeting signals India's intent to consolidate security ties with key African partners within the BRICS framework, as the bloc expands its footprint across the Global South.
BRICS NSA Meeting: Agenda and Themes
The 16th BRICS National Security Advisors' Meeting is being hosted in New Delhi under India's chairship, bringing together the heads of delegation from all BRICS member countries. The central theme is 'Non-traditional security challenges confronting the world today', according to the MEA.
Deliberations are expected to cover the rapidly evolving nature of national security threats, the role of emerging technologies in amplifying security risks, and a review of outcomes from recently concluded BRICS Joint Working Groups on Counter-Terrorism and on Security in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This is the first such meeting under India's current BRICS chair cycle, making the outcomes particularly consequential for setting the bloc's security agenda.
Significance and Broader Context
The back-to-back meetings underscore India's active diplomatic posture at a time when West Asia remains in flux and BRICS has grown into a broader coalition spanning Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Notably, Iran's inclusion in BRICS — formalised in 2024 — makes this the first such NSA-level engagement between the two countries within the bloc's formal security architecture. India has historically maintained a careful balance with Tehran, navigating energy ties and strategic interests amid Western sanctions pressure. The New Delhi meetings suggest that balance remains a live diplomatic priority.
Point of View
Meanwhile, reflects a broader pattern: India is methodically building security-tier relationships across the African BRICS members, a space where China has moved faster. Whether these sideline conversations translate into durable frameworks or remain one-off readouts is the real question mainstream coverage tends to skip.
NationPress
22 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did NSA Ajit Doval discuss with Iran's representative at the BRICS NSA Meeting?
Doval met Ghadir Nezamipour, Deputy Secretary for Defence Affairs of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, on 22 June 2026 in New Delhi. The two sides reviewed the ongoing situation in West Asia and discussed cooperation under the BRICS platform as well as India-Iran bilateral ties.
What is the 16th BRICS National Security Advisors' Meeting about?
The meeting, hosted in New Delhi under India's chairship, focuses on the theme 'Non-traditional security challenges confronting the world today.' It brings together security chiefs from all BRICS member countries to discuss emerging threats, technology-driven security risks, and outcomes of working groups on counter-terrorism and ICT security.
Why did NSA Doval meet Ethiopia's intelligence chief?
Doval met Million Lema Tadesse, Executive Director of Analysis at Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service, to explore areas of cooperation and deepen the India-Ethiopia Strategic Partnership. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS NSA summit on 22 June 2026.
What is India's role at the 16th BRICS NSA Meeting?
India is hosting the meeting in New Delhi under its current BRICS chairship. As chair, India sets the agenda and facilitates discussions among member nations on evolving global security challenges, including counter-terrorism and ICT security frameworks.
Why does India's engagement with Iran at BRICS matter?
Iran formally joined BRICS in 2024, making the New Delhi meeting one of the first NSA-level engagements between India and Iran within the bloc's security architecture. The interaction allows India to maintain diplomatic contact with Tehran on sensitive regional issues like West Asia while operating within a multilateral setting.
