New Delhi, March 20 (ANI) — Congress leader Shashi Tharoor praised India’s measured response to the unfolding crisis in West Asia, calling it an example of “responsible statecraft” and arguing that restraint signals strength rather than weakness.
“Restraint is not surrender. Restraint is strength… it shows that we know what our interests are and we will act first of all to protect our interests,” Tharoor said in an interview with ANI.
Referring to the clashes involving Iran, Israel and the United States, Tharoor said India might have signaled sympathy sooner after recent deadly events affecting Iran’s leadership, while rightly maintaining a cautious diplomatic posture. “There is a difference between condemnation and condolence… condolence is an expression of sympathy,” he noted.
Tharoor warned the conflict’s wider fallout could be severe, especially for energy supplies and the economy. “So much of oil and gas supplies have been affected… we are not able to receive it anymore, except in very small instalments,” he said, pointing to shortages of LPG and disruptions to everyday life in India.
He cautioned that crude prices rising from roughly $64 a barrel at the start of the crisis to somewhere between $100 and $120 could spark broad inflation. “We’re looking at a very serious situation of petrol inflation, which in turn has a knock-on effect on everything,” he said.
Questioning the strategic clarity of the military campaign, Tharoor asked what the conflict’s end goal is. “We don’t know exactly what the desired end point is… I would have liked to have thought there was some strategic logic behind this assault,” he said.
Urging countries like India to take a constructive diplomatic role, he called for initiatives to promote de-escalation. “What many countries like us ought to be doing… is to actually take an initiative to call for peace, to give both sides a ladder to climb down,” Tharoor said.
He also expressed concern about the erosion of international law and institutions amid rising hostilities. “What we’re seeing is that power is taming law… that is a recipe for the law of the jungle,” he warned.
On the risk to regional infrastructure, Tharoor argued that attacks on energy systems could have dangerous, long-term consequences. “They can’t destroy each other so comprehensively that they will not be able to pick themselves up after the war,” he said.
While acknowledging India’s limited options if the conflict drags on, Tharoor emphasized the importance of diversifying energy sources and sustained diplomatic engagement. “At the bottom line… we are caught over a barrel, as are many other countries,” he said.
His comments come as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise, raising concerns about regional security and global energy routes. The remarks were reported by ANI. (This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received.)
