Israel-Iran war: Congress slams Donald Trump for US strikes; urges Centre to show 'moral courage', break silence on 'Gaza genocide'

NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Monday criticised US President Donald Trump's decision to launch airstrikes on Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities, saying it goes against his own statements supporting continued talks with Iran. The party also criticised the Central government for not speaking out against the US bombing or Israel’s actions."President Trump’s decision to unleash US air power on Iran makes a ‘mockery’ of his own calls for the continuation of talks with Iran," Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.He added, "The Indian National Congress reiterates the absolute essentiality of immediate diplomacy and dialogue with Iran. The Government of India must demonstrate greater moral courage than it has so far."Ramesh said the Modi government "has unequivocally neither criticised nor condemned the US bombing and Israel’s aggression, bombings and targeted assassinations.""It has also maintained a deafening silence on the genocide being perpetrated on the Palestinians in Gaza," he wrote on X.Congress leader Pawan Khera also criticized PM Modi. "What is surprising and shocking is the complete silence of PM, whether on bombing of innocent civilians in Gaza, or targeted killings by Israel in other countries or now US using air power against Iran...India has always had a peace keeping and constructive role in West Asia. Why is India abdicating its moral authority in this region? People are looking (for) answer," he said.The statements come after the US bombed three major nuclear sites in Iran — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan — on Sunday, bringing itself directly into the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.Meanwhile, on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that India is "deeply concerned" about the conflict between Iran and Israel and called for immediate de-escalation through "dialogue and diplomacy."The US strike on Iran’s nuclear sites has raised concerns about a wider conflict in the Middle East.Before the US bombing, Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi had also spoken on the issue. In an article titled "It is still not too late for India's voice to be heard," she criticised India’s silence on the situation in Gaza and Iran, calling it "not just a loss of its voice, but also a surrender of values."In the same article, Gandhi criticised US President Trump for following what she described as a "destructive path" in West Asia, after having earlier spoken against America’s long military involvement in the region.