New Delhi, March 1 : Congress on Sunday "unequivocally" condemned the "targeted assassination" of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei by the US and Israel and offered condolences to the people of Iran and the Shia community around the world.
Invoking Article 51 of the Constitution, Congress, in a statement, stressed that India's foreign policy is anchored in a commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and respect for international law.
"These principles-sovereign equality, non- intervention and the promotion of peace are foundational to India's civilisational values. Given this, the conflict in West Asia is deeply antithetical to our commitment to Vasudhaiva Kutumbaka ("the world is one family"), Mahatma Gandhi's doctrine of ahimsa (non-violence), Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's policy of non-alignment," Congress said.
Congress expressed concern about the targeted use of force to destabilise the government in Iran and Venezuela, which they believed "signals a disturbing revival of regime-change doctrines and coercive unilateralism."
"It also contravenes the United Nations Charter, especially Article 2(4), which expressly prohibits "the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state," and Article 2(7), which forbids intervention in matters essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state. A targeted killing of a sitting head of state strikes at the heart of these international rules. Sovereignty is not conditional, and political legitimacy cannot be manufactured through force," Congress said.
Congress reiterated the inalienable right of every nation's citizens to determine their own political future.
"No external power has the authority to engineer regime change or dictate the leadership of another state. Such actions amount to imperialism and are fundamentally incompatible with a genuinely rules- based international order," Congress said.
US President Donald Trump and Iranian state media confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the strikes. Iranian state media also reported that Ali Khamenei's daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law were also killed.
The regional situation has reached a critical flashpoint following the execution of joint missile strikes, titled Operation Roaring Lion/ Operation Epic Fury, by Israel and the United States on Iran.
Iran has declared 40 days of public mourning following the death of their Supreme Leader.
Ayatollah Khamenei succeeded the Revolution's founder, Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989, and his tenure was marked by consistent opposition to Western influence.
Iran has vowed "the most devastating offensive operation" against US bases and Israel in retaliation. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has pledged revenge and says it has launched attacks on 27 bases hosting US troops in West Asia, as well as Israeli military facilities in Tel Aviv.
Strikes by Iran have been reported in Dubai in the UAE, Qatar's capital Doha, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Iran said it was targeting US bases in the region. An oil tanker was struck off the coast of Oman, and airlines cancelled and diverted flights in and around the West Asian region. (ANI)
