Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Friday that India’s timely condolence over the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be the “most appropriate thing” even if the US-Israeli action was not condemned.
The Lok Sabha MP also said that the government must exercise restraint during such a raging conflict and claimed that he would recommend the same to the Congress government.
“I agree with the critics. On the very first day of the conflict when Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed, we should have expressed our condolences. That would have been the most appropriate thing. It would have been the right thing to do given his role in the country,” Tharoor told news agency ANI on whether India should have expressed condolences for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader on March 28.
The Congressman further recalled India’s stand after former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in 2024.
“When President Raisi died in a helicopter crash, we immediately declared grief and expressed our condolences. However, I am happy that when the Iranian Embassy in Delhi opened a condolence book, our foreign minister was immediately sent to offer condolences,” Tharoor said.
Explaining the difference between condolence and condemnation, Tharoor suggested that while he did not condemn the US-Israeli action against Iran was fine, India could at least express sympathy to the bereaved.
“There is a difference between condolence and condemnation. If politically you feel that you are not going to condemn what the US-Israel attack did, that is fine. But condolence is an expression of sympathy for the bereaved and the government and people of Iran. That is something we could have done,” Tharoor said.
Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on Iran on 28 February. His death was confirmed by state media a few hours after US President Donald Trump announced it.
Day 21 of the Iran-US War
On 5 March, India expressed its condolences on the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Foreign Minister Vikram Misri signed a condolence book on behalf of the Indian government at the Iranian Embassy in Delhi. This marked the first diplomatic gesture from India since the death of the former supreme leader. Misri also met the Iranian ambassador.
As the Middle East war enters its 21st day on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran no longer has the ability to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles after 20 days of US-Israeli airstrikes.
That would be the most appropriate.
Netanyahu said the airstrikes alone were insufficient and said a “revolution” or fundamental change could not be achieved from the air. A ground component is essential to the success of the operation. Netanyahu declined to reveal specific plans.
