The Speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, will skip the BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi amid a diplomatic dispute over India refusing clearance for an Iran Air shipment of medical supplies, the Iranian embassy announced on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
Sanctions Pressure Grounds Medical Cargo
The friction surfaced publicly on October 19, 2026, when Iran Air managing director Taher Abdolhay revealed during a press conference in Tehran that the carrier had failed to secure permission to fly pharmaceutical shipments from India and Singapore. According to thehindu.com, Indian officials insisted that Tehran route its medical consignments through third countries like Armenia or Oman. Delhi’s airport operators and carriers risk U.S. Treasury sanctions if they host sanctioned Iranian aircraft.
Iranian representatives rejected this logistical workaround. They argued that humanitarian assistance is exempt from international sanctions and that New Delhi should operationalize the bilateral air corridor on a priority basis. Tehran pointed out that direct flights between Delhi and Tehran take roughly three hours, whereas overland and multi-stop transit through third-party nations can stretch to 48 hours. Iranian officials noted that previous overland shipments through Armenia resulted in perishable, temperature-sensitive medications spoiling during long transit and heavy cargo transfers.
Statement by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi Regarding the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum (24 October 2026)The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi wishes to inform that, due to certain unforeseen circumstances, H.E. Dr. Mohammad-Baqer… pic.twitter.com/aNLwzdh0GJ
Parliamentary Delegation Attends Despite Ghalibaf’s Absence
The Iranian Embassy in New Delhi announced that Dr. Ghalibaf would miss the forum in New Delhi due to “unforeseen circumstances,” as reported by hindustantimes.com. Nevertheless, a parliamentary delegation will still travel to India to participate in the 12th BRICS forum. The embassy emphasized Tehran’s ongoing commitment to the grouping, recalling that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had visited New Delhi just last month for the BRICS Leaders’ Summit.
| Event / Milestone | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Iran Air discloses medicine transport bottleneck | October 19, 2026 | Tehran, Iran |
| Iranian Embassy announces Ghalibaf’s absence | October 24, 2026 | New Delhi, India |
| BRICS Parliamentary Forum meetings | October 26–27, 2026 | New Delhi, India |
India and Iran Disagree on Pharmaceutical Trade Barriers
Official sources in New Delhi maintained that Ghalibaf’s canceled trip had no connection to the pharmaceutical transport bottlenecks. Indian officials stressed to thehindu.com that major Indian pharmaceutical companies routinely supply the Iranian market by flying goods to Armenia and trucking them across the border, bypassing direct aviation restrictions. Meanwhile, Iranian insiders countered that private corporate hesitation driven by the long shadow of U.S. and European Union penalties continues to stifle direct bilateral commerce between two ancient civilizational partners.
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Official X account of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) posts, "Statement by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi Regarding the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum (24 October 2026) The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran… pic.twitter.com/wfg2FBtPRP”
