India has despatched its condolences to Iran on the dying of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met the Iran ambassador in Delhi at this time and signed the condolence e-book for Khamenei’s dying — which passed off on Sunday, hours after the US-Israel air strikes in Tehran. It additionally comes shortly after Iran declared that it could open the Strait of Hormuz to all ships besides these of the US, Israel and the European Union. Foreign minister S Jaishankar, in a submit on X, mentioned he had a “telecon” with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi this afternoon.
The transfer indicators a refined shift within the place of New Delhi, which had not condemned the airstrikes by which Khamenei died and maintained a studied silence in face of vehement Opposition calls for for a proper assertion.
Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri visited the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and signed the condolence e-book, on behalf of the folks and the Government of India, on the demise of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei. pic.twitter.com/lOODHeI5fm
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 5, 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi later expressed his concern concerning the state of affairs within the middle-east. “India has always called for dialogue and diplomacy to find a solution to such disputes,” he mentioned.
Read: Oil Hope For India? Iran Says Hormuz Strait Only Closed To US, Israel, Europe
New Delhi’s response has been in keeping with that of most world powers, none of which had issued condolences for Khamenei’s killing – the one key nations to take action have been Russia and China.
It additionally comes on a day Iran’s Revolutionary Guards mentioned the Strait of Hormuz is closed completely to vessels from the United States, Israel, Europe and their Western allies. Any ship belonging to the United States, Israel, Europe “and their supporters” which can be noticed within the waterway “will certainly be hit”.
The Opposition had earlier condemned Delhi’s stand, pointing to India’s long-standing relationship with Iran.
Read: 23,000 Indian Sailors Stranded Near Strait Of Hormuz Amid Iran War: Sources
India at one level used to buy 13 per cent of its oil from Iran and carried out vital commerce, which had dropped sharply after US sanctions on Iran following its withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018.
Also, through the years for the reason that NDA got here to energy, the federal government has cultivated its ties with Israel and now has a powerful strategic, financial and army partnership with Tel Aviv. In 2017, PM Modi grew to become the primary Indian Prime Minister to journey to Israel. The contemporary stance is seen as a departure from India’s method in direction of Iran and the opposite middle-east nations, which can also be taking it a step nearer to the US.
Earlier this week, Congress’s Sonia Gandhi condemned the federal government’s stand, saying: “When the targeted killing of a foreign leader draws no clear defence of sovereignty or international law from our country and impartiality is abandoned, it raises serious doubts about the direction and credibility of our foreign policy”.
“India has long invoked the ideal of vasudhaiva kutumbakam ‘” the world is one household. That civilisational ethos shouldn’t be a slogan for ceremonial diplomacy; it implies a dedication to justice, restraint and dialogue, even when doing so is inconvenient. At moments when the rules-based order is beneath seen pressure, silence is abdication,” she had mentioned.
