Iran, US our friends but Pak was mediator: Rahul says PM watched from sidelines

Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of staying on the sidelines as Pakistan mediated efforts over the Iran war. He said India failed to use its ties with Iran, the US and Russia to make itself relevant.Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of watching from the sidelines as Pakistan emerged as a mediator in efforts to resolve the Iran war, saying India had missed a "huge opportunity" to use its ties with Iran and the US.Speaking at the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention, Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the government's foreign policy and alleged that India failed to leverage its relationships with Iran and the US to play a meaningful role in ending the months-old conflict."On one side, the Iran war is happening. If India understood its own strength, and if we had a strong leader like Indira Gandhi, this would have been the biggest opportunity in the world for India," he said."Then, what happened? Pakistan became the mediator, while India and Modi ji just watched from the sidelines. How did this happen?" he added. The Leader of Opposition said Iran was an old friend of India, while Russia and the US were also India's friends, arguing that New Delhi could have used these relationships to make itself more relevant in efforts to resolve the war."Iran is our old friend, and Russia and America are our friends. Let us become relevant and be friends... But Pakistan took our place," he said. - EndsPublished By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Aug 13, 2026 18:06 IST