Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that while the West Asia conflict has reached India’s doorstep, the PM has remained silent. He added that the country needs steady leadership, but instead has a “compromised PM who has surrendered our strategic autonomy.”

Gandhi warned that the world is entering a volatile phase, with “stormy seas ahead.” He highlighted India’s vulnerability, noting that over 40% of the country’s oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and the situation is even worse for LPG and LNG. He also pointed to the recent sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, emphasizing that the Prime Minister has yet to respond.

His remarks came a day after a US submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian warship in international waters near Sri Lanka, after it had participated in India’s MILAN naval exercise—a multilateral wargame inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Visakhapatnam from February 19–25, 2026, with 18 countries participating, including the USA and Iran.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh called the Modi government’s silence “shocking” and unprecedented, noting that India has never appeared so “timid and fearful,” especially given the implications of the incident for maritime security in the Indian Ocean, often considered India’s strategic backyard. Ramesh also criticized the government for its continued silence over recent targeted assassinations in Iran. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the strike marked the first torpedo sinking of an enemy warship since World War II. Reports from the Sri Lankan Navy stated that 87 bodies were recovered and 32 people rescued from the Iranian warship IRIS Dena.

The incident represents a major escalation in US-Iran tensions outside the Persian Gulf, raising concerns for regional maritime security. Following recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, including the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran has retaliated with attacks targeting Israel and American bases across several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. India has called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the crisis.