Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said that India issuing a timely condolence on the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would have been the "most appropriate thing to do" even if the US-Israeli action was not condemned.
The Lok Sabha MP also said that the government must act with restraint during such a raging conflict, asserting that he would have advised the same to a Congress government.
“I agree with the critics. The very first day of the conflict, when Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed, we should have expressed our condolences. That would have been the most appropriate thing to do. It would have been the right thing to do given his role in the country,” Tharoor told news agency ANI on whether India should have issued condolences on the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader on 28 March.
The Congress MP further recalled India's position after former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in 2024.
"When President Raisi died in the helicopter crash, we immediately declared mourning and issued condolences. However, I am glad that when the Iranian Embassy in Delhi opened a condolence book, our Foreign Secretary was sent immediately to express condolences," Tharoor said.
Tharoor explained the difference between condolence and condemnation, suggesting that while not condemning, the US-Israeli action against Iran was fine, India could at least have expressed sympathy for the bereaved.
"There's a difference between condolence and condemnation. If you feel politically that you are not going to condemn what the American-Israeli attack has done, that's fine. However, condolence is an expression of sympathy for the bereaved one and to the government and people of Iran. That's something we could have done," Tharoor said.
Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on Iran on 28 February. His death was confirmed by state media hours after US President Donald Trump announced it.
21st day of the Iran-US war On 5 March, India expressed condolences over the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri signing the condolence book at the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi on behalf of the Government of India. This marked the first diplomatic gesture from India since the former Supreme Leader's death. Misri also met the Iranian ambassador.
As the war in the Middle East enters its 21st day on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran no longer has the ability to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles after 20 days of US‑Israeli air attacks.
That would have been the most appropriate thing to do.
Netanyahu said that airstrikes alone are insufficient, saying a “revolution” or major change cannot be achieved from the air. A ground component is necessary for the operation to succeed. Netanyahu refused to disclose specific plans.