Iran Accuses US of Preventing India's Rise as Global Power Amid Escalating Tensions

As tensions between Iran and the United States continue to intensify, Tehran has gone on the offensive diplomatically and accused Washington of deliberately harming New Delhi's interest to preserve its position atop the international order.

Abdul Majeed Hakeem Ilahi, the Special Representative of Iran's Supreme Leader to India, made the remarks in an interview with news agency ANI.

In his telling, the US campaign against Iran is not simply about the bilateral dispute between the two countries — it is part of a calculated effort to prevent emerging powers, India and China in particular, from ever becoming true peers to America on the world stage.

"The aim of America is not Iran, but after Iran, it will come to other countries. According to investigations, in the near future, there will be a shift of power to some other countries," Ilahi told ANI.

"In the near future, the most powerful countries in the world will be India, China, Russia, and America as well. So America doesn't want to have any partner; it doesn't want India or China to be a powerful country. Because of that, they create a lot of wars to stop this in the future..." he added.

The Iranian official further stated that it was the US and Israel which started the war, not Iran.

India's Position

So far, India refrained from taking anyone's side directly. In a statement released on Tuesday, it "urged all sides to exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prioritise the safety of civilians".

It highlighted that the safety and well-being of one crore Indians living in Gulf region is their utmost priority. Furthermore, it also noted that any major disruption has serious consequences for the Indian economy since New Delhi's trade and energy supply chains also traverse this geography.

India also condemned attacks on merchant shipping as many Indians have already lost lives or are missing as a result of such attacks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his trip to Israel just days before the attack. India is also working towards closing an interim bilateral deal with the US.

Meanwhile, India also operates the Chabahar Port in Iran — a strategic gateway to Central Asia — and imports a substantial share of its oil from the Gulf.