Congress slams Modi over Pakistan's role in US-Iran ceasefire
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New Delhi: Congress on Wednesday labeled Pakistan's mediation in the US-Iran ceasefire a "severe setback" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "highly personalised diplomacy," claiming it exposes the "self-styled Vishwaguru."
The party criticized Modi's silence on Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as "disgraceful language" from his "good friend in the White House." Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh welcomed the two-week truce, which reopens the Strait of Hormuz, but tied it to broader diplomatic failures.
The conflict erupted on February 28 with assassinations of top Iranian leaders, just days after Modi's Israel visit, which Ramesh said "diminished India’s global stature." He argued Pakistan's involvement undermines efforts to isolate it over terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir—unlike Manmohan Singh's post-Mumbai success.
Ramesh questioned the abrupt halt of "Op Sindoor" on May 10, 2025, announced first by the US Secretary of State, with President Trump claiming credit repeatedly. A bankrupt economy dependent on donors like Pakistan playing this role exposes Modi's strategy, he said. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar once called Pakistan a "dalal," but now "his 56-inch chest has shrunk."
US President Donald Trump de-escalated late Tuesday, announcing on Truth Social a two-week ceasefire after talks with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir. It requires Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, averting strikes on its infrastructure.