India has categorically dismissed reports suggesting that the United States is using Indian ports or naval facilities to launch or support military operations against Iran amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
The rebuttal came directly from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) after comments by retired U.S. Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor circulated widely. Appearing on the American network One America News Network (OAN), Macgregor claimed that with American bases and harbor installations reportedly damaged or lost in the region, U.S. naval forces had shifted reliance to Indian ports. He described the situation as “less than ideal,” citing unnamed naval sources.
The MEA responded immediately through its official FactCheck account on X, branding the allegations “fake and false.” The statement read: “Claims being made on OAN, a US based channel that Indian ports are being used by the US Navy are fake and false. We caution you against such baseless and fabricated comments.” The Press Information Bureau’s FactCheck unit reinforced the denial, calling the notion of U.S. forces using Indian naval bases to target Iran completely untrue.
The clarification underscores India’s firm commitment to neutrality and non-involvement in the escalating U.S.-Israel-Iran confrontation. Tensions surged after joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes over the weekend that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the age of 86. Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Israel and U.S. military sites in several Gulf countries.
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Entering its sixth day, the conflict has caused severe casualties: more than 1,000 reported deaths in Iran, around a dozen in Israel, and at least six U.S. personnel killed. A significant escalation occurred Tuesday night when a U.S. submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, resulting in 87 fatalities — the first such U.S. submarine attack on a surface vessel since World War II.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have defended the initial strikes as necessary preemption, asserting that Iran posed an imminent danger to Israel and potentially the United States.
Through its public denial, India aims to quash disinformation and preserve its neutral position as the regional war shows no immediate signs of abating.
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