India's Silence on Iran's Supreme Leader Assassination Raises Questions About Foreign Policy Direction

Questions have been raised in political and diplomatic circles about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence after the US-Israeli joint strike in Iran that killed the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has also questioned the Modi government's silence on the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a scathing attack on the central government, she said Modi's silence and India's position cast serious doubts on its foreign policy direction and credibility. An All India English media report said the government's silence on the issue should be discussed openly when the second part of the budget session of parliament begins on 9 March. Sonia Gandhi said India must stand up for sovereignty and peace and restore its moral strength. On 1 March 2026, Iran confirmed that its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei had been assassinated in a US and Israeli strike the day before. Iranian Supreme Leader Narendra Modi was killed in a US airstrike.