Did Ali Khamenei support PM Modi after abrogation of Article 370, and what has been Iran's stance on Kashmir issue? What changed after India...

Our forces are now striking the heart of Tehran with increasing strength, and this will only increase even more in the coming days, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

New Delhi: In a significant development, Iran's state media has confirmed that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been killed after attacks across Iran by Israel and the US, which began on Saturday morning (local time). Iran's Supreme National Security Council said that Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in his office early on Saturday morning. In response, Iran has launched attacks throughout the Middle East, on US allies and where the US has military bases, including in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Members of the Shia community staged protests in Kashmir and several other cities across India after Ali Khamenei's death. It is important to note that Iran's stance on the Kashmir issue has remained mixed over the years. To recall, in the 1990s, Iran had supported India on the Kashmir matter.

Iran has always been important for India

India's relationship with Iran has largely been based on mutual interests. Iran has also remained an important country for India's regional diplomacy. Notably, Iran has openly criticized Pakistan on several occasions, which has strengthened India's position at several platforms. At the same time, on certain issues related to Kashmir, Iran and its former leader Ayatollah Khamenei made statements that India rejected.

Pahlavi Shah openly supported Pakistan

During Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's rule, Iran openly supported Pakistan and opposed India on the Kashmir issue. However, after the Islamic Revolution, when Ruhollah Khomeini came to power, Iran recalibrated its foreign policy and adopted a more balanced approach. This shift ultimately proved disadvantageous for Pakistan.

Iran's Policy on Kashmir

With the outbreak of violence in Jammu and Kashmir, the Iranian officials tried their best to frame a Kashmir policy while balancing their relations with both India and Pakistan. The top leadership therefore refrained from openly supporting either side and limited its response to expressing concern over the suffering of the people. This marked a significant shift in Iran's foreign policy.

At the time, Iran did not endorse any controversial political solution to the dispute.

In 1990, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said:

Look, wherever there is a Muslim community in the world, they are treated far more harshly than others. Kashmir is a contemporary example of this. Muslims there are raising their voices for their rights. Anyone aware of what has happened in Kashmir knows that what the Muslims of Kashmir are saying is nothing but truth and justice. Those who try to silence them have unjust motives. Those who attack them are the ones doing wrong. Ironically, the world is watching all this with indifference."

How Iran Helped India:

• Iran shares a border with Pakistan and is a Shia-majority country.
• It has also played a role in limiting Pakistan's access to trade routes toward Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• In the 1990s, Pakistan sought to introduce a resolution against India at the United Nations over the Kashmir issue.
• India could have faced various sanctions had it succeeded.
• At the time, P. V. Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister of India. In response, he turned to Iran and sent then External Affairs Minister Dinesh Singh to Tehran.
• Iran's foreign minister personally received his Indian counterpart at the airport, and a message was conveyed to the Iranian President.
• Subsequently, at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iran did not support the resolution brought forward by Pakistan.
• The proposal accused India of human rights violations in Kashmir and called for sanctions.
• As a result, the resolution failed to gain traction and did not reach the United Nations.

Khamenei Had Criticized India Over Article 370

It is important to note that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had criticised India on several occasions. After the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Khamenei wrote, "We are concerned about the situation of Muslims in Kashmir. Our relations with India are good. However, India should adopt a just policy and prevent oppression against the Muslims of the region."

Strikes on Tehran 'will only increase' in coming days, says Benjamin Netanyahu

Speaking from the roof of the IDF Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that he has given instructions for the continuation of the campaign against Iran during a meeting with his defence minister, chief of staff, and the head of the Mossad security service.

"Our forces are now striking the heart of Tehran with increasing strength, and this will only increase even more in the coming days," Netanyahu said.