Mainstream WeeklyDiplomatic talks were underway between the Americans and the Iranians, and there was hope for a peaceful agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme. But it seems that American were playing a deception game in these talks, geared at gaining time, while preparing for war. In full breach of international law [1], the American-Israeli bombings have shown that the objective of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu is regime change in Iran. In fact, this massive attack on Iran launched on February 28 was not in response to any emergency [2]. Contrary to claims of Donald Trump, there were no "imminent threats" to "the American people." This war came barely 48 hours after Mr Narendra Modi visited Israel. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has issued a statement calling for restraint over this conflict, but has not condemned the attack on Iran. India cannot ignore its huge interests in the region, and this conflict could be very damaging. India is a major importer of oil from Iran and other countries of the Persian Gulf. The crisis will impact oil supplies and their pricing. Even more important is the enormous economic importance of its nearly 10 million diaspora in the Arab Gulf region, which is a source of tens of billions of dollars of remittances to India [3]. The attacks by Israel and the US on Iran and Iran’s response have naturally spilt over into the region, with bombings in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE. Hundreds of flights have already been suppressed by major carriers flying to the region. Any major economic disruption in the region will be damaging for countries far beyond. India will have to stand up more prominently and use all its leverage for an end to this war as soon as possible, or else we will have to pay a huge price for this war initiated by the USA and Israel. All of India’s political formations must unite to pressure the Modi Govt to act accordingly. Messaging matters here, the statement from the Foreign Affairs Dept of Congress party, India’s main opposition party, was bland & did not openly condemn the US-Israeli act of regime change in Iran; It is very creditable that a subsequent statement by the President of the Congress party is sharp and clear in the Nehruvian tradition. The Left parties shine the light of internationalism and call out the imperialist logic of the American-Israeli combine, which must be opposed, but they must now dilute their whiskey and come over to criticising the repressive ways of the reactionary theocratic regime in Iran and support voices of dissent and for democratisation inside Iran.
March 1, 2026 —HK