NEW DELHI — India’s Ministry of External Affairs has rejected claims circulating online that the United States Navy is using Indian ports to support military operations against Iran, dismissing the allegation as “fake and false” amid escalating tensions across the Middle East.
The clarification came after remarks by retired US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor during an interview on the US television network One America News Network, where he suggested that American naval forces were relying on Indian ports to sustain operations during the growing conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
India’s foreign ministry swiftly pushed back against the claim. In a statement posted by its official fact-checking unit, the ministry said allegations that the US Navy is using Indian ports for strikes on Iran were entirely fabricated and urged the public to avoid spreading misinformation.
The statement followed Macgregor’s claim that American forces were relying on Indian naval facilities as the conflict intensified and some US military positions in the region reportedly faced increasing threats.
The denial comes as the Middle East faces one of its most volatile moments in decades after the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on targets inside Iran on February 28, triggering a wave of retaliation across the region.
Iran responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israeli territory and several US-linked military installations across the Gulf region, an escalation that analysts say could draw additional countries into the confrontation. Reports indicate that Iran retaliated by targeting locations hosting US assets across the Gulf shortly after the initial strikes.
The cycle of attacks and counterattacks has raised fears of a broader regional war, with governments and international organizations warning that the conflict could destabilize energy markets and threaten major shipping routes.
According to multiple international reports, the initial strikes carried out by Israel with US support marked one of the largest coordinated military actions against Iran in years, dramatically escalating tensions between Tehran and its long-time adversaries.
As military exchanges intensified, Iranian missile and drone strikes were reported across several countries hosting US forces, while Israel activated emergency defenses and air raid sirens in multiple cities.
The rapidly evolving conflict has produced a wave of speculation and misinformation across social media and television commentary, including claims that foreign bases or ports in allied countries were being used to support American operations.
Indian officials moved quickly to counter those narratives, emphasizing that New Delhi had not permitted any military operations against Iran from Indian territory or ports.
India’s response reflects the country’s long-standing diplomatic strategy of maintaining balanced relations with multiple actors in West Asia. While India has developed strong strategic partnerships with the United States and Israel in recent decades, it has also preserved economic and diplomatic ties with Iran.
Regional analysts note that any suggestion India might allow its territory to be used in military operations against Iran could have serious diplomatic consequences.
The stakes are particularly high for India, which depends heavily on energy imports from the Gulf region and maintains one of the world’s largest expatriate populations in Middle Eastern countries.
India has also invested strategically in Iran’s Chabahar port, a key infrastructure project intended to strengthen trade links with Central Asia while bypassing Pakistan.
The government’s swift denial therefore appeared aimed at preventing speculation that India had become directly involved in the conflict.
Meanwhile, the broader military confrontation continues to unfold across multiple fronts.
Earlier reports highlighted that an Iranian drone strike in Bahrain injured personnel at a facility linked to US defense operations, underscoring how widely the conflict has spread beyond Iranian territory.
Energy markets have also been shaken by the escalation. Analysts warn that oil markets surged after coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, raising fears that disruption to Gulf shipping routes could trigger a major global energy shock.
In another development reported earlier in the conflict, Iranian military officials claimed that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards destroyed a THAAD missile defense radar in the UAE, a claim that illustrated the growing geographic scope of the confrontation.
The conflict has also seen direct threats against American naval forces. Reports indicated that Iran targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles, highlighting the risks facing US military assets in the region.
International reactions have been swift. Several governments and international organizations have called for restraint, warning that continued escalation could destabilize the entire Middle East.
At the United Nations, officials warned that the expanding military confrontation risks undermining international peace and security while increasing the chances of a broader regional war. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Diplomatic efforts to ease tensions had been underway before the outbreak of hostilities. Oman had been mediating indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program, with talks held in Geneva earlier this year.
Those diplomatic efforts collapsed after the February 28 strikes, leaving the region on edge as military exchanges intensified.
Security analysts say the conflict could reshape geopolitical alignments across the Middle East, particularly if additional countries become directly involved.
For India, avoiding entanglement in the conflict remains a top priority.
By publicly rejecting claims that American forces are operating from Indian ports, New Delhi has sought to distance itself from the military confrontation while reaffirming its independent foreign policy approach.
Whether the crisis will escalate further remains uncertain, but officials say one thing is clear: misinformation surrounding the conflict has become almost as widespread as the military exchanges themselves.
For now, Indian authorities insist the viral claim about US naval operations from Indian ports has no basis in fact.
