Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “speak up” on the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, saying silence on it lowers India’s prestige in the world.
Rahul Gandhi said India must be “morally clear” on this conflict and have the “courage to defend international law and human life”.
“India must be morally clear. We must have the courage to speak out in defense of international law and human life. Our foreign policy is based on sovereignty and the peaceful resolution of disputes – and this must remain consistent,” he said in a post on X.
He further said, “Prime Minister Modi must speak out. Does he support the assassination of a head of state as a way of defining the world order? Silence now hurts India’s reputation in the world.”
Expressing concern over increasing hostilities in the West Asia region, he also encouraged dialogue and restraint to restore peace.
He said, “The escalating tensions between the US, Israel and Iran are pushing this fragile region towards broader conflict. Millions of people, including nearly 10 million Indians, are facing uncertainty. Security concerns are real, but attacks that violate sovereignty will make the crisis worse. Both unilateral attacks on Iran, as well as attacks by Iran on other Middle Eastern countries, must be condemned. Violence begets violence; dialogue and restraint are the only paths to peace.”
Meanwhile, Israel carried out strikes in both Iran and Beirut on Tuesday, further escalating tensions, while Iran retaliated by attacking the US embassy in Riyadh.
The Jerusalem Post quoted Reuters as saying that a drone attack took place on the US Embassy in Riyadh. It also reported that two more American soldiers were killed in Operation Epic Fury, taking the death toll to six.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday that US forces conducted sustained operations targeting key Iranian military infrastructure, including targets associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Separately, Al Jazeera reported that Iran claimed to have launched a “massive missile and drone” attack on a US air base in Bahrain. Iran’s IRGC said it destroyed the main command building of a US air base in Bahrain during a drone and missile attack early Tuesday. It said the Sheikh Isa base was attacked by 20 drones and 3 missiles, causing fuel tanks to catch fire.
In response to the joint US and Israeli strikes that killed Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran retaliated by firing ballistic missiles and drones at US bases and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further escalating the conflict and increasing the threat to both civilians and migrants.
In view of the increasing threat of regional conflict, world leaders and international organizations are currently appealing for reducing tension, although the fighting continues and there is no clear end in sight.