Killing of Khamenei and attack on Iran signal the revival of regime-change doctrine and coercive unilateralism: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday, March 1, 2026, condemned the “targeted assassination” of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, by the United States and Israel without a formal declaration of war.

In a firm statement, the Congress chief expressed his condolences to Khamenei’s family, the Iranian people and the global Shiite community, and reiterated India’s long-standing commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and respect for international law.

“The targeted use of force to destabilize the leadership and governance structures of a sovereign state, whether in Iran or previously in Venezuela, marks a disturbing resurgence of doctrines of regime change and coercive unilateralism,” Mr. Kharge said in a statement. “This is also contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, in particular Article 2(4), which expressly prohibits the ‘threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state’, and Article 2(7), which prohibits interference in matters substantially falling within the national jurisdiction of any state,” he added.

The Congress leader also said: “The targeted killing of a sitting head of state is at the very heart of these international rules. Sovereignty is not conditional and political legitimacy cannot be produced through force.”

Emphasizing principles such as vasudhaiva Kutumbakam And ahimsaThe party argued that the targeted use of force against the leadership of a sovereign state without a formal declaration of war undermines India’s core values.