Retd Army major calls Iranian Foreign Minister a ‘pig’ in viral video ahead of his arrival
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Retired Indian Army Major Gaurav Arya, known for his right-wing views and frequent appearances on national television, called Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi a pig for visiting Islamabad before New Delhi amid the India-Pakistan stand-off.
Arya, a figure followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X, objected to Araghchi’s travel itinerary and used derogatory language to describe the minister. He made the remarks in the context of heightened India-Pakistan tensions following missile strikes carried out by India on May 7 as part of 'Operation Sindoor'.
Arya appeared agitated that Araghchi did not visit India first in the wake of a terrorist attack in Pahalgam and accused him of lacking solidarity.
In the video, Arya displayed a photo of Araghchi with a circle drawn around his head and the word 'pig' written above it. This act drew a sharp response from the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, which shared a screenshot of the video and expressed disappointment, citing Iran’s cultural tradition of respecting guests.
In response, India’s embassy in Tehran issued a clarification distancing itself from Arya’s remarks. The embassy stated that Arya is a private citizen and his statements do not reflect India’s official position, adding that the tone of the video was inappropriate.
Despite the clarification, Arya escalated his rhetoric a day later by accusing Iran of acting against Indian interests. He alleged that Iran supplies weapons to Pakistan, which are then used to target Indian civilians, and claimed that Tehran supports Islamabad purely on religious grounds.
He further attacked the Iranian leadership using derogatory language commonly employed by Hindu right-wing groups in India to refer to Muslim leaders.
Araghchi’s visit to India was part of an annual joint commission meeting, during which he held talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and met President Droupadi Murmu. Tehran emphasised the need for regional cooperation to reduce tensions in South and West Asia and reiterated its support for peace in the wake of India-Pakistan hostilities.
India’s strategic relationship with Iran includes the development of the Chabahar port under a ten-year lease.