Is US using Indian ports to strike Iran? MEA clarifies

India has firmly denied allegations that the US Navy is using its ports to launch attacks against Iran, reaffirming its commitment to strategic autonomy and non-alignment in international conflicts.

The Indian government has rejected claims that the United States of America navy is using Indian ports to strike Iran.

The clarification came after remarks by former US Army colonel Douglas Macgregor during an interview on the U. broadcaster One America News Network.

In the interview, Macgregor suggested that the United States Navy was relying on Indian ports after losing access to its own bases.

Macgregor' claim drew attention on social media after Iran bombed all the US bases in the middle-east, leaving them with no safe place to launch attacks on Iran.

The rejection of Macgregor's statement was made on ‘X’ by the ministry of external affairs stating, “Fake News Alert! Claims being made on OAN, a US based channel that Indian ports are being used by the US Navy are fake and false. We caution you against such baseless and fabricated comments.”

Later, the Press Information Bureau also issued a clarification rejecting reports that the United States was using Indian facilities to carry out strikes against Iran.

The PIB in its tweet on X said, “Claim: On a US-based channel, One America News Network @OANN, former US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor made a statement suggesting that the United States is using Indian naval bases to attack Iran, amidst the ongoing Iran-US conflict. According to the statement, assertions that US forces were operating from Indian naval bases had no factual basis and were misleading.”

The post on X also cautioned, “Stay Alert: Always verify information from official sources before sharing. Spotted suspicious content related to the Government of India? Send it to @PIBFactCheck and it will be verified for you.”

The clarification has come after Iranian ship was sunk by US submarine on Wednesday in Indian Ocean, leaving 87 people dead.

India's Policy on Foreign Military Operations

India’s response reflects its long-standing policy of not allowing its territory to be used by foreign powers to conduct offensive military operations.

Since independence in 1947, India has consistently maintained that it will not host foreign military bases or permit its land or ports to be used as a platform for another country’s war.

This position is closely tied to India’s historic commitment to strategic autonomy and its leadership role in the Non-Aligned Movement, which was formed during the Cold War to keep member states independent of military blocs led by global powers.

Defence Cooperation and Agreements

While India cooperates with several countries on defence and maritime logistics, including the United States, such arrangements are limited to support activities like refuelling, repair, and joint exercises.

For instance, the logistics pact known as the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement signed between India and USA in 2016 allows the two militaries to access each other’s facilities on case by case basis with prior mutual consent for supplies and services, but does not permit combat operations to be launched from Indian territory.

Over the decades, India has allowed foreign naval vessels to visit its ports and has participated in multinational humanitarian and disaster relief missions, but it has avoided becoming directly involved in external conflicts.