Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has strongly denied allegations that the United States is using Indian ports or naval bases to launch military strikes against Iran.
The controversy emerged following comments made by a former American military officer after the Iranian naval ship IRIS Dena, which had earlier arrived in India on a diplomatic invitation and participated in the MILAN 2026 naval exercise in Visakhapatnam alongside naval forces from 72 countries, was unable to return to Iran and later came under attack in international waters near the port of Galle in Sri Lanka.
Responding to the claims, India emphasized that misinformation should be avoided during such sensitive global developments.
How did the controversy arise?
The issue surfaced during an interview on the U.S. television channel **One America News Network (OAN)**, where retired U.S. Army Colonel Douglas MacGregor claimed that the U.S. Navy’s infrastructure had been severely damaged due to the ongoing war and that American forces had been forced to rely on Indian ports for operational support.
Colonel MacGregor stated:
“All our bases have been destroyed… We have actually had to retreat to India and Indian ports, which is not a very suitable situation.”
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs swiftly rejected the claim, describing it as “baseless and fabricated.”
Through its official FactCheck social media account, the ministry stated that the reports broadcast by OAN alleging that the U.S. Navy was using Indian ports were **completely false**.
New Delhi reiterated that India has **no involvement in the conflict** and would not provide logistical support to foreign forces for military operations against Iran, reaffirming its **non-aligned foreign policy stance**.
Is India truly non-aligned?
Colonel MacGregor’s remarks have resurfaced in the context of reports that an American submarine attacked the Iranian naval ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean region near Sri Lanka. The reported strike—described by some analysts as the first submarine attack on a surface warship since World War II—has triggered broader geopolitical debate.
Some international political commentators are now questioning India’s diplomatic role and responsibilities in the incident.
They argue that since the IRIS Dena had attended a naval exercise in India on an official invitation, the host country may have had a moral obligation to ensure a degree of security while the vessel was in the region and during its return journey.
According to reports, the Iranian ship was not granted access to an Indian port during the escalating crisis. Critics claim this could represent a breach of diplomatic trust, arguing that the visiting vessel should at least have been provided a safe passage or temporary port access given the volatile security environment.
Reports further state that the IRIS Dena remained in international waters about 19 nautical miles from the port of Galle for nearly 11 hours, seeking permission to enter the port rather than undertake the risky journey back to Iran.
The attack reportedly occurred while the vessel was still navigating international waters amid uncertainty about its next destination. Some analysts believe that if port access had been granted earlier, the attack might potentially have been avoided.
The incident has therefore attracted close attention from global political observers. Some analysts argue that the episode raises broader questions about India’s proclaimed neutral or non-aligned foreign policy, suggesting that New Delhi’s strategic posture may be increasingly influenced by its relationship with the United States.
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