New Delhi: A series of now-deleted social media posts by the Iranian Embassy in India has drawn ire over Tehran’s positioning on Kashmir and ‘giving a sectarian colour’ to support extended by the people of India.
The latest was a tweet put out by the Iranian Embassy, now deleted, of a picture by IRGC’s aerospace force with a missile, thanking the ‘people of Kashmir’. The provocative tweet was accompanied with a caption in Urdu that read: ‘We are grateful to the Kashmiris from the bottom of our hearts and vow to avenge the killers of our Rehnumaa (the Ayatollah).’
This was part of a series of social media posts which sought to play the Kashmir angle.
Earlier the embassy deleted posts thanking Kashmiris, with a caption that said, “Thank you, India.” In another now-deleted post showing a Kashmiri woman giving away her gold as donation, the embassy wrote, “Thank you, Kashmir. Thank you, India.” The embassy provided no clarification, but the deletions were made after pushback from Pakistan-based accounts for referring to Kashmir as part of India.
The phrasing in its latest posts drew criticism from many, including former diplomat Kanwal Sibal, who in a post on X argued that the messaging was objectionable regardless of any external pressure.
“India has reason to object to this post. Thanking the people of Kashmir, India implies that support was only from Muslims of Kashmir. Gave a sectarian colour to support from India. Also excluded Muslims from other parts of India,” he wrote on X.
This post was objectionable in itself, irrespective of any Pakistani pressure.
India has reason to object to this post.
Thanking the people of Kashmir, India implies that support was only from Muslims of Kashmir.
Gave a sectarian colour to support from India.
Also excluded… https://t.co/Iq6i9VMHU9
— Kanwal Sibal (@KanwalSibal) March 25, 2026
He was referring to how Indians from across the country including in some instances, even Hindus who support the BJP came forward to donate to the Iranian Embassy and express solidarity. Others from across the country stepped forward to contribute, driven by “ancient civilisational connection”.
However, the Iranian Embassy made no mention of it. Rather, it courted controversy over its multiple deletions and selective acknowledgement.
The pattern of posting and deletion has fueled speculation about competing pressures shaping Iran’s messaging. Security and defence analyst Tara Kartha described the situation as ‘a balancing act’.
“Iran appears to be attempting to maintain goodwill with both India and Pakistan, even if that results in mixed signals. They’re trying to show alignment with India while also keeping Pakistan onside,” she told ThePrint.
India’s official stance remains that the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir is its sovereign territory, with disputes involving Pakistan to be resolved bilaterally. Against this backdrop, the embassy’s selective language is being viewed in New Delhi as diplomatically insensitive.
The episode unfolds amid a longer history of friction over Kashmir between the two countries.
In 2019, following India’s revocation of the J&K’s special status, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly voiced concern about the condition of Muslims in the region which prompted a sharp response from New Delhi. Later in 2024, in a tweet highlighting the ‘suppression’ of Muslims worldwide, he made a mention of Kashmir yet again.
India and Iran meanwhile, have continued to maintain pragmatic bilateral relations rooted in energy, trade and regional strategy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated Monday that India’s broader foreign policy approach in West Asia stresses on de-escalation and opposition to attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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