Congress divided on Iran war with US-Israel? Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor back govt stance

Even as Rahul Gandhi slammed Narendra Modi-led government, his partymen - Tharoor and Tewari - support the centre's stand on the ongoing war in the middle east.

While the Congress has been constantly attacking the Narendra Modi-led central government for being a 'silent spectator' amid the ongoing Iran-Israel war in the middle east, backed by the US, two of its own leaders believe the government’s stance is correct.

Manish Tewari, speaking at an event hosted by a TV news channel, said the ongoing war is not India’s war and that the country has always been a marginal player in the Middle East. Keeping in mind the interests of around 4.8 million Indians in the region, he said the government is likely doing the right thing.

“Well, it’s not our war. We’ve always been rather marginal players in the greater Middle East, and the problems of the region did not start today,” Tewari said.

"Since we have a huge diaspora, close to 48 million people, in addition to that, of course, the imperatives of our energy security, not limited to crude oil and natural gas, but also fertilizer, which is extremely important for our food security. If we are circumspect, I think probably we are doing the right thing, because that is really what strategic autonomy is about, the ability to protect your interests and navigate, if I may put it in those words, contradictory impulses," Tewari concluded.

Notably, the Congress had heavily criticised the Indian government for not paying tribute to Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Iran’s former supreme leader, after he was killed in an Israeli strike. India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri, however, signed the condolence book at the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, marking India’s first official response, days after Khamenei's death.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had questioned India’s stance, asking whether the Prime Minister’s silence on the death of a head of state implied support for the assassination.

“Crores of people, including nearly a crore Indians, face uncertainty. 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,” Gandhi said in a post on X.

Tharoor echoes Tewari

However, not just Tewari but also Shashi Tharoor believes India’s silence should not be seen as cowardice. In a column for The Indian Express, Tharoor wrote that while India should have promptly condoled the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, it is right to maintain silence on the war, as silence is not an endorsement.

Citing Jawaharlal Nehru, Tharoor argued that the former Prime Minister’s policy of non-alignment has been redefined in today’s increasingly multipolar world, where India seeks to maintain relations with multiple players, even those at war with each other.

Tharoor also wrote that India has too much at stake in the middle east to take a purely moral position by openly condemning the war.

“The war on Iran is unjustifiable under international law. India’s silence is not an endorsement of that war. It is a recognition that our national interest requires prudence, not posturing. If I were advising any Indian government, I too would counsel restraint. Restraint is strength—the strength to balance principle with pragmatism, to honour our values while safeguarding our interests, and to navigate a dangerous world with wisdom rather than bravado,” he said.