Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has strongly criticised Israel's recent airstrikes on Iran, describing them as “unjustified” and questioning the selective silence of Western powers. Drawing a sharp comparison with the West’s condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Abdullah said the global response to Israel’s actions revealed a troubling double standard.
“As far as I know, Iran did not provoke this strike. Israel attacked a sovereign country, calling it a preemptive move. This is no different from what Russia did in Ukraine,” Abdullah told reporters on June 13.
The strikes—Israel’s largest-ever offensive against Iran—were launched under “Operation Rising Lion,” targeting Iranian nuclear sites and military leaders. Among those reportedly killed were senior commanders Hossein Salami and Mohammad Bagheri. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the operation as essential to counter what he called an existential threat posed by Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes.
Iran responded swiftly with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drone attacks, some of which hit Tel Aviv, causing civilian casualties and injuries. The tit-for-tat escalation has brought the long-simmering Israel-Iran conflict to a dangerous new level, raising fears of broader regional instability.
Abdullah warned that the repercussions of this conflict would not be limited to the Middle East. “India will feel the heat—fuel prices, stock markets, air travel, everything will be affected. More importantly, selective outrage undermines the credibility of international norms,” he said.
Calling for consistency in global diplomacy, Abdullah stressed that any cross-border military aggression—whether by Russia or Israel—should be condemned with equal urgency.