India has opted out of a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) statement that strongly condemned Israeli military strikes on Iran, asserting it was not part of the group’s internal deliberations concerning the joint declaration.
The Ministry of External Affairs clarified on Saturday that India had communicated its position on the Iran-Israel conflict earlier and chose not to engage in SCO talks that led to the joint statement, which was discussed and issued in Beijing.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India’s stance, released on June 13, 2025, urged both Iran and Israel to avoid escalatory moves and focus on diplomacy and dialogue to resolve their differences peacefully.
India reiterated its support for de-escalation and diplomatic engagement, highlighting that its comprehensive position had been shared with other SCO member states prior to the discussions on the statement.
External Affairs Minister also spoke to his Iranian counterpart recently, expressing global concern over rising tensions and again pressing for restraint and a return to negotiations as the preferred path forward.