PM Modi's silence on Iran diminished India's standing in the world: Rahul

Amid the US-Israel-Iran conflict, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak up and say whether he supports the assassination of a head of state as a way to define the world order.

He said the unilateral attacks on Iran, as well as Iran's attacks on other Middle Eastern nations, must be condemned.

"Silence now diminishes India’s standing in the world," the Congress leader said on X on Tuesday, 3 March.

His remarks come days after Iran confirmed that it’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been assassinated in targeted strikes carried out the previous day by the United States and Israel.

Gandhi said escalating hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran are pushing a fragile region toward wider conflict.

Crores of people, including nearly a crore Indians, face uncertainty, he said.

"While security concerns are real, attacks that violate sovereignty will only worsen the crisis. The unilateral attacks on Iran, as well as Iran's attacks on other Middle Eastern nations, must be condemned. Violence begets violence—dialogue and restraint remain the only path to peace," he said.

"India must be morally clear. We should have the courage to speak plainly in defence of international law and human lives. Our foreign policy is rooted in sovereignty and the peaceful resolution of disputes—and it must remain consistent," Gandhi said.

Earlier, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in an article, said the Modi government's silence on the targeted assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not neutral but an abdication, and raises serious doubts about the direction and credibility of India's foreign policy.

Sharing Sonia Gandhi's article on X, Rahul Gandhi said, "Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji writes at this critical global juncture, emphasising that India must stand for sovereignty and peace, and rediscover our moral strength."

The United States and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday, with US President Donald Trump calling on the Iranian public to seize control of their destiny and rise against the Islamic leadership that has ruled their country since 1979.