Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor visited Tehran on 28 January 2026 for consultations with his Iranian counterpart Dr. Ali Bagheri Kani, Deputy for International Affairs, SNSC | Photo: X
Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor met with Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani on Wednesday, amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran over protests in Iran.
The Indian embassy in Tehran posted on X, “Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor visited Tehran on 28 January 2026 for consultations with his Iranian counterpart Dr Ali Bagheri Kani, Deputy for International Affairs, SNSC. He also called on Secretary, SNSC Dr. Ali Larijani.”
The visit by India's Deputy NSA to Tehran coincides with recent tensions between Iran and the US amid protests in Iran. In a statement on Truth Social, the president of the United States stated that the US was advancing "quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose" with a larger fleet than it had previously dispatched to Venezuela.
The force was "ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary," he continued. Trump expressed his hope that Iran will "quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties" as he urged Tehran to return to the negotiating table. He called the matter "truly of the essence" and issued a warning that "time is running out.”
Recounting an earlier standoff, Trump wrote, “As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran.” He cautioned that any renewed confrontation would be “far worse."
Iran said on Wednesday, through its mission to the United Nations, that it remained open to engaging with Washington, provided any talks were grounded in mutual respect and shared interests, Indian Express reported.
A day later, media reports indicated that the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group had been reinforced with additional US warships, destroyers and fighter aircraft as part of its deployment.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Iranian security agencies have detained thousands of people in what it described as a sweeping campaign of arrests and intimidation aimed at preventing further protests, following the most lethal unrest the country has witnessed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The protests, which erupted last month in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over economic distress, reportedly tapped into long-suppressed grievances and rapidly escalated into what observers have described as the most serious challenge to the Iranian leadership in nearly five decades.
According to rights groups, authorities responded by cutting internet services and suppressing demonstrations with overwhelming force, resulting in thousands of deaths. Iranian officials, however, have attributed the violence to what they describe as “armed terrorists” allegedly linked to Israel and the United States.
Figures compiled by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) put the death toll at 6,373, including 5,993 protesters, 214 members of the security forces, 113 minors and 53 bystanders. HRANA has also reported that arrests have reached 42,486.