NEW DELHI: In a notable diplomatic shift, India joined fellow Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states on Monday in strongly condemning the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in June 2025. The rare consensus — formalised in the Tianjin Declaration — described the attacks as a violation of international law and Iran’s sovereignty, and called for the protection of nuclear infrastructure and civilians.
This comes two months after India had distanced itself from a similar SCO condemnation over Israeli actions in Iran — a move that had highlighted internal divergences within the Eurasian bloc. Monday’s statement, declaration, suggests New Delhi is now aligning more closely with the collective position.
“Member states condemn the military strikes conducted by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran in June 2025,” the declaration stated. “Such actions constitute a violation of international law and the sovereignty of a United Nations member state.”
The SCO, which includes China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran and India among its permanent members, also expressed concern over the targeting of civilian facilities and nuclear-energy sites, stressing the need for permanent guarantees around the safety of such infrastructure.
“The targeting of nuclear infrastructure and resulting civilian casualties is unacceptable. Protection of such facilities must be ensured on a permanent basis,” the declaration read.
The coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites in June marked one of the most dangerous escalations in the region in recent years, prompting global calls for restraint. While India had abstained from the SCO’s earlier criticism, its endorsement of Monday’s resolution signals a calibrated recalibration of its diplomatic posture — grounded in concerns over sovereignty, regional stability, and adherence to international norms.