MEA monitoring West Asia’s situation as crisis continues
Ujwal Jalali
New Delhi, Updated At : 02:00 AM Mar 02, 2026 IST
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei killed in strike on Tehran. File
The Indian government remained silent on the reported assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, even as the Embassy of Iran in New Delhi urged states worldwide “not to remain silent” over what it called “lawlessness and aggression.”
Officials at the Ministry of External Affairs did not issue a formal reaction during the day, as large-scale military exchanges involving the US, Israel and Iran continued to unfold across West Asia. Sources said New Delhi was closely monitoring the situation but declined to comment publicly, reflecting a cautious diplomatic stance amid rising regional tensions and competing strategic ties.
In a strongly worded statement issued after confirmation of Khamenei’s death, the Iranian embassy in New Delhi expressed “profound sorrow and grief” over the “martyrdom” of the leader and held Washington and Tel Aviv responsible for the strike’s consequences. The embassy called on “independent and freedom-seeking governments” to condemn the act and not remain silent in the face of what it described as blatant crime.
The outreach by Iran’s mission comes as retaliatory strikes have raised fears of a wider conflict across the region. India has historically balanced close civilisational and economic ties with Iran alongside deepening strategic relationships with the US and Israel, a posture that often requires calibrated responses in times of crisis.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had returned days earlier from a two-day state visit to Israel during which bilateral ties were elevated to a special strategic partnership. New Delhi has substantial stakes in regional stability — including energy supplies, the safety of millions of Indian nationals in the Gulf, and connectivity projects such as Iran’s Chabahar port — which inform its careful diplomatic approach.
