India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri signed the condolence book on Thursday for Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on behalf of the Indian government. Khamenei, who had led the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1989, was killed at the age of 86 during a joint military operation carried out by the United States and Israel early on Saturday. Misri’s gesture marked India’s first formal response following the leader’s death.
In his message in the condolence book, Misri wrote that the government and people of India extend their sincere condolences and prayed for peace for the departed soul.
Apart from this, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also spoke with Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi over the phone, later mentioning the conversation in a post on X.
Until then, India had remained largely silent on Khamenei’s death and had avoided directly condemning the US-Israel strikes on Iran. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, emphasising the importance of an early end to the hostilities.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes in Iran targeting military facilities, government buildings, offices of senior political leaders and residences linked to top officials. During one of these attacks, Khamenei and several members of his family were killed.
US President Donald Trump first announced Khamenei’s death on Truth Social on Saturday night according to Indian time. In his post, Trump described the killing as justice and claimed it offered an opportunity for the Iranian people to take control of their country.
The development triggered strong reactions globally. Israel praised the military action, while Russia and China criticised the strikes, describing them as a violation of international law.
