'Restraint is...': Tharoor backs India's cautious stance on West Asia conflict, differs with Sonia Gandhi

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor backed India's response to the ongoing West Asia crisis and described it as an exercise in "responsible statecraft," stressing that restraint in such a volatile situation reflects strength rather than weakness.

In an interview with ANI, Tharoor said, "Restraint is not surrender. Restraint is strength... it shows that we know what our interests are and we will act first of all to protect our interests."

His comments came after veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had questioned the central government and its foreign policy, saying this “raises serious doubts about the direction and credibility of our foreign policy". Sonia Gandhi questioned the central government’s silence on the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. She asserted that the government’s silence, in this case, is not “neutral" but an “abdication".

However, the former UPA chairperson’s stand did not stop Tharoor from choosing to back the Centre’s position on the West Asia conflict, as he said that there is a “difference between condemnation and condolence… condolence is an expression of sympathy," he noted.

Referring to the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, Tharoor said India should have expressed condolences earlier following the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, while maintaining a cautious diplomatic stance.

Highlighting the broader global impact of the conflict, Tharoor warned of severe economic disruptions, particularly in energy supplies.

"So much of oil and gas supplies have been affected... we are not able to receive it anymore, except in very small instalments," he said, pointing to shortages of LPG and disruptions in daily life across India.

He added that rising crude oil prices -- from around $64 per barrel at the start of the conflict to between $100 and $120 -- could trigger widespread inflation.

"We're looking at a very serious situation of petrol inflation, which in turn has a knock-on effect on everything," he said.

The remarks come amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following ongoing military operations and rising concerns about regional security and energy supply routes.