THE WEIGHT OF RESTRAINT

Modi's silence on the Iran war seems strategic, shaped by ties with key Gulf Arab states and the demographic makeup of India's Muslim population

- P.R. KUMARASWAMY

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's loud silence on the assassination of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israel military attack has sparked strong comments, criticism and rebuke within the country. Prominent opposition figures see this as an abandonment of moral, ethical and leadership responsibilities. The issue has become a domestic controversy amid upcoming assembly elections, where Muslim voters could play a crucial role in the outcome. Even otherwise informed and intelligent minds do not look beyond the assassination and tend to ignore or downplay the consequences of the Iranian response for the Arab countries.

Modi may choose to make his views public later. But his 'silence' at the moment appears logical and is shaped by two main factors: India's strategic interests with the Gulf Arab states, which are now primary targets of Iran's counteroffensive, and the demographic makeup of India's Muslim population.

Even before the international community, including India, could process the news of Khamenei's assassination, Tehran expressed its anger towards all its Arab neighbours. The stated goal of targeting American bases in the Gulf fell apart when several civilian and noncombatant sites in the region were hit by a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones. Among the targets in the Arab countries were ports, airports, oil terminals, hotels and holiday resorts, which are the prime assets and wealth of the Gulf countries.