Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have condemned Israel's attack on Iran and slammed Western powers for maintaining what they alleged was a "criminal silence" over the incident. Calling the strike unprovoked and unjustified, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said Iran had not taken any step that could have triggered such military action.
"Israel attacked Iran on its own, calling it a pre-emptive strike. But as far as I know, Iran gave no reason for this attack," Omar told reporters in Srinagar.
Omar Abdullah also said that the silence of global powers over the strike was unfortunate. "When Russia invaded Ukraine, the world raised its voice. But when Israel attacks Iran, the same powers, unfortunately, maintain criminal silence," he added.
He further highlighted growing unease among the people in Kashmir.
He questioned the justification behind the strike, saying, "As far as I know, Iran didn't give any reason to be attacked. This looks like a preemptive strike. And if the world's powers remain silent on this, it's a very sad thing."
"The fallout will not remain limited to that region. It will affect oil prices, financial markets, and flight routes. More importantly, it impacts people's sentiments," he added.
Requesting @MEAIndia to urgently ensure the safety and well-being of Kashmiri students currently stuck in Iran. Their families are deeply worried, and we stand with them in this difficult time. Every step must be taken to safeguard our students.@DrSJaishankar
— Office of Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) June 13, 2025
Appeal for safety of Kashmiri students in Iran
Omar Abdullah also urged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Dr S Jaishankar to take urgent steps to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students stranded in Iran.
In a post on X, Omar wrote: "Requesting MEA India to urgently ensure the safety and well-being of Kashmiri students currently stuck in Iran. Their families are deeply worried, and we stand with them in this difficult time. Every step must be taken to safeguard our students."
The appeal followed Israeli strikes on Iran overnight on Friday, targeting several locations, including military sites and residential areas.
NC MP Ruhullah backs Iran's right to retaliate
National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Friday criticised Israel over its recent military actions, calling it a "colonial thug" targeting sovereign nations.
In a post on X, Mehdi said, "Israel has now bombed Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, and still plays the victim. This rogue Zionist regime isn't defending itself — it's behaving like a colonial thug."
The Srinagar MP further stated that attacking sovereign nations does not demonstrate strength but defines a state as a "terrorist." He asserted that Iran, like any sovereign country, has the right to defend itself and take "punishing revenge."
"The Zionist regime should pay for its crimes in Gaza — for its bloodlust, for its massacres," he added.
Mehdi also criticised India's abstention from a United Nations General Assembly vote on a resolution seeking an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel’s attack on Iran is yet another brazen act by a state that appears to have gone rogue. The silence of the global community particularly Western powers led by the United States is both alarming and telling. This silence amounts to tacit approval. In the case of…
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) June 13, 2025
Mehbooba Mufti condemns western silence
Echoing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister and president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, said that Israel's attack on Iran is yet another brazen act by a state that appears to have gone rogue.
"The silence of the global community, particularly Western powers led by the United States, is both alarming and telling. This silence amounts to tacit approval," she said.
"In the case of India-Pakistan tensions, the U.S. never fails to assert that its intervention has been crucial in preventing escalation," the PDP president pointed out, adding, "Yet when it comes to Israel's relentless bombardment of Gaza or its latest strike on Iran, that same urgency is conspicuously missing."
"These glaring double standards endanger global peace and stability. Equally disturbing is the deafening silence of the so-called Muslim countries, which remain shamelessly non-existent in the face of such grave injustice. Their inaction is not just disappointing — it's a betrayal of the very causes they claim to stand for," she added.
