NEW DELHI: India has refrained from condemning the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei even as it has criticized Iranian attacks on Gulf countries and called for restraint, dialogue and reduction of tensions in West Asia.The calibrated response has sparked strong political reactions in the country, with Congress parliamentary party president Sonia Gandhi calling the government’s silence an “abdication” rather than neutrality. In an op-ed in The Indian Express, he said India’s lack of a clear response to the killing “indicates a tacit endorsement of this tragedy” and called for a discussion in Parliament.
Government response: moderation, not support
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has limited its public position to urging “moderation, dialogue and reduction of tensions.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to leaders from across the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan, condemning attacks on their territories and emphasizing the safety of the nearly 10 million Indians living in the region.India has not condemned the US and Israeli strikes that allegedly killed Khamenei, nor has it expressed condolences. Government sources indicate that sovereign responses are guided by national interest, including energy security, the well-being of the diaspora and strategic partnerships in the Gulf.
A history of public criticism
Khamenei had repeatedly commented on India’s internal affairs over the past decade, sparking diplomatic protests from New Delhi.In 2017, he called on the Muslim world to support what he described as “oppressed Kashmiri Muslims.” After the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, he publicly urged India to adopt a “just policy” in Kashmir, following which the MEA summoned the Iranian envoy.During the January 2020 debate on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the speaker of the Iranian parliament criticized the law as “anti-Muslim discrimination,” comments that India rejected as interference. In March 2020, amid the Delhi riots, Khamenei tweeted that India should “stand up to Hindu extremists,” described the violence as a “massacre of Muslims,” and warned of the “isolation of the world of Islam,” using the hashtag #IndianMuslimsInDanger. The MEA summoned the Iranian ambassador again.As recently as September 2024, Khamenei placed India alongside Myanmar and Gaza in a social media post, prompting an official response from the MEA calling the comments “misinformed and unacceptable.”
Gulf priorities and strategic alignment
India’s harshest condemnation has been directed at Iranian attacks on Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, countries that are key energy suppliers and home to large Indian communities. Prime Minister Modi, in separate talks, highlighted the importance of restoring regional peace and thanked Gulf leaders for ensuring the well-being of Indians.External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also spoke to his counterparts from the six GCC countries after hostilities escalated, underlining what is at stake for India in regional stability.India’s strategic engagement with the Gulf has deepened significantly over the last decade, spanning energy, defence, maritime security and connectivity. This has coincided with a relatively cautious attitude towards Tehran.
Previous voting record on Iran
India’s policy towards Iran has changed over time. Between 2005 and 2009, the Congress-led UPA government voted against Iran in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) three times during negotiations on the India-US civil nuclear deal. In 2022, the NDA government abstained on a similar IAEA resolution on Iran’s nuclear program.
Political division at home
Sonia Gandhi argued that the assassination of a sitting head of state during ongoing negotiations marks a “serious rupture in contemporary international relations” and said India’s response raises “serious doubts” about the credibility of its foreign policy.The government has not responded directly to his comments. Officially, India maintains that it has consistently called for peace and stability in the Middle East.As tensions rise across the region following coordinated US-Israeli attacks and Iranian retaliation, New Delhi’s public message remains measured, condemning attacks on its Gulf partners, avoiding direct comments on Tehran’s leadership and reiterating its stance in favor of diplomacy.