In US-Israel war on Iran, India picks a side but could wind up as a big loser

Six days into the war on Iran, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly spoken. Standing with the visiting president of Finland, he said on Thursday, March 5, that both countries believed in the “rule of law, dialogue and diplomacy”, that no issue could be resolved “solely through military conflict”, and that they would support efforts for peace “in Ukraine or in West Asia”.

Previously, at the outbreak of war, the Ministry of External Affairs had posted an official statement urging all sides to “exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prioritize safety of civilians” and advising “dialogue and diplomacy” to address underlying issues. The statement also averred that “sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be respected”.

Although this statement refrained from noting – let alone criticising – the naked aggression on Iran by the United States and Israel as well as the targeted assassination of the Iranian head of state, several Indian commentators helpfully parsed it as an astute diplomatic message that at once criticised the violation of international law and Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Gulf countries.

The government was evidently a tad more aware of the infirmities of this stance. Hence, the invocation of “rule of law” by the prime minister, albeit as an abstract universal principle. This slots...

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