Hyderabad: The Iranian Consulate in Hyderabad has condemned retired Indian Army officer Major Gaurav Arya over his remarks backing Israel’s military operations in Lebanon and Gaza, sparking a sharp diplomatic backlash.
The row erupted after the consulate shared a video clip from a News18 Hindi debate in which Arya appeared alongside Pakistani anchor Mona Alam. When challenged over his stance on Iran, Arya reportedly declared India as Israel’s “true brother” and voiced support for Israeli air strikes. “Drop 100 more bombs on Lebanon and 50 more bombs on Gaza,” he said in the clip, while also stating he had “never liked the Iranian regime.”
The Iranian Consulate strongly denounced Arya’s comments, calling his views “incredible” and accusing him of supporting what it described as a “genocidal and occupying regime.” The consulate said such rhetoric is used to normalise ongoing military attacks and justify bloodshed in the region. The post drew heavy online engagement, amassing over 242,000 views, more than 2,500 reposts and around 7,900 likes on the platform.
The debate clip has triggered polarised reactions, with some users defending India–Israel ties while others stressing that Arya’s views are personal and do not reflect India’s official foreign policy.
The row comes amid heightened tensions in West Asia following the US–Israel war on Iran that began on February 28. A ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but talks are still underway, with an earlier round in Islamabad failing to produce a breakthrough and a second round expected soon.