Congress condemns the targeted assassination of Iranian President Ali Khamenei

The INC extends its deepest condolences to the Supreme Leader's family, to the people of Iran, and the Shia community around the world in this moment of profound grief. We stand in solidarity with them as they navigate this grave crisis.

The INC President AMallikarjun Kharge in a post said,”India's foreign policy is anchored in a commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and respect for international law, as mandated in Article 51 of the Constitution of India. 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”,Kharge said.

The congress leader expressed that it 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.

Kharge said,” 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”.

He  reiterated that it is 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,he expressed.