On June 13, 2025, the world has, once again, witnessed the dangerous consequences of unilateral militarism when Israel launched a deeply troubling and unlawful strike against Iran and its sovereignty.
The Indian National Congress has condemned these bombings and targeted assassinations on Iranian soil, which represent a dangerous escalation with grave regional and global consequences. As with so many of Israel’s recent actions, including its brutal and disproportionate campaign in Gaza, this operation was executed with utter disregard for civilian lives and regional stability. These actions will only deepen instability and sow the seeds of further conflict.
That such an attack should come at a time when diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States were showing signs of promise makes it all the more distressing. Five rounds of negotiations had already taken place this year, with a sixth that was scheduled for June. And, as recently as in March 2025, the Director of National Intelligence of the United States, Tulsi Gabbard, clearly testified to Congress that Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapons programme, and that its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had not authorised its resumption since its suspension in 2003.
Israel under the dispensation now
It is important to remember that the current Israeli leadership, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has a long and unfortunate record of undermining peace and nurturing extremism. His government’s continuing expansion of illegal settlements, its alliances with ultra-nationalist factions, and its obstruction of the two-state solution have not only deepened the suffering of the Palestinian people but also pushed the broader region toward perpetual conflict.
Indeed, history reminds us that Mr. Netanyahu helped fan the flames of hatred that culminated in the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, ending one of the most hopeful peace initiatives between Israelis and Palestinians.
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Given this record, it is not surprising that Mr. Netanyahu would choose escalation over engagement. What is deeply regrettable is that the U.S. President Donald Trump — who once spoke out against America’s endless wars and the influence of the military-industrial complex — now appears willing to follow this destructive path. He himself has repeatedly pointed out how wilfully false claims about Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction led to a costly war that destabilised the region and caused immense destruction in Iraq.
Therefore, Mr. Trump’s statement on June 17, dismissing his own intelligence chief’s assessment and claiming that Iran was “very close” to acquiring nuclear weapons, is deeply disappointing. The world expects and needs leadership that is grounded in facts and driven by diplomacy, and not by force or falsehoods.
No place for double standards
Given the region’s fraught history, Israel’s security concerns about a nuclear-armed Iran cannot be dismissed. However, there can be no room for double standards. Israel itself is a nuclear weapons state with a long record of military aggression against its neighbours. In contrast, Iran remains a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and had, under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, agreed to stringent limits on uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. This agreement, backed by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Germany and the European Union, was verified by international observers, until it was unilaterally abandoned by the United States in 2018. That decision undid years of painstaking diplomacy and once again cast a long shadow over the region’s fragile stability.
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India, too, has borne the consequences of that rupture. The reimposition of sanctions on Iran severely constrained India’s ability to pursue key strategic and economic projects, including the International North-South Transport Corridor and the development of Chabahar Port — initiatives that held the promise of deeper connectivity with Central Asia and more direct access to Afghanistan.
Iran has been a long-standing friend to India and is bound to us by deep civilisational ties. It has a history of steadfast support, including in Jammu and Kashmir at crucial junctures. In 1994, Iran helped block a resolution critical of India at the UN Commission on Human Rights on the Kashmir issue. Indeed, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been much more cooperative with India than its predecessor, the Imperial State of Iran, that had tilted towards Pakistan in the 1965 and 1971 wars.
Meanwhile, India and Israel have also developed strategic relations in recent decades. This unique position gives our country the moral responsibility and the diplomatic leverage to act as a bridge for de-escalation and peace. This is not simply an abstract principle. Lakhs of Indian citizens are living and working across West Asia, which makes peace in the region an issue of vital national interest.
Israel’s recent actions against Iran have taken place in an atmosphere of impunity, enabled by near-unconditional support from powerful western nations. While the Indian National Congress unequivocally condemned the absolutely horrific and totally unacceptable attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, we cannot remain silent in the face of Israel’s catastrophic and disproportionate response. More than 55,000 Palestinians have lost their lives. Entire families, neighbourhoods, and even hospitals have been obliterated. Gaza stands on the brink of famine, and its civilian population continues to suffer unspeakable hardship.
India’s disturbing stance
In the face of this humanitarian catastrophe, the Narendra Modi government has all but abandoned India’s long-standing and principled commitment to a peaceful two-state solution, one that envisions a sovereign, independent Palestine living side-by-side with Israel in mutual security and dignity.
New Delhi’s silence on the devastation in Gaza and now on the unprovoked escalation against Iran reflects a disturbing departure from our moral and diplomatic traditions. This represents not just a loss of voice but also a surrender of values.
Watch: Israel-Iran conflict | Should India play a more proactive role?
It is still not too late. India must speak clearly, act responsibly, and use every diplomatic channel available to defuse tensions and promote a return to dialogue in West Asia.
Sonia Gandhi is the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party
Published – June 21, 2025 12:16 am IST