INDIA'S IRAN POLICY GUIDED BY STRATEGIC INTERESTS: EXPERTS

Officials say quiet engagement, not public rhetoric, guides India’s response

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA NEW DELHI

The criticism that India mishandled the recent Iran crisis by failing to publicly condemn attacks on Tehran is based on a misunderstanding of how diplomacy works, according to officials familiar with the discussions between New Delhi and Tehran.

In recent days, sections of the media and political commentary have argued that India should have taken a stronger public position in favor of Iran and explicitly condemned the actions of its adversaries. Critics have cited the absence of such a statement from New Delhi as evidence that the government failed to respond appropriately to the crisis.

Officials involved in the diplomatic engagement, however, say that this argument rests on a flawed premise. India’s foreign policy, they maintain, cannot be assessed through public commentary or social media debates.

“Diplomacy is not run on Twitter,” one official said, referring to commentary by analysts and media figures who have been sharply critical of both Iran's response to the U.S.-Israel strike and how India has responded to these strikes during the conflict.