Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India joined China, Pakistan and four other countries in voting against a UN Human Rights Council resolution that strongly deplored the crackdown on protests in Iran and extended the mandate of a fact-finding mission on the country by two years, while authorising it to investigate last month’s “repression.“The 47-member body adopted the resolution with 25 votes in favour, 7 against and 14 abstentions. India has a history of not backing country-specific resolutions and has mostly in the past voted against UN resolutions on human rights situation in Iran but the vote was still significant as it came when Tehran was in dire need of support against a US backlash over the protests.
After UN vote, Iran envoy Fathali thanks India for its ‘principled and firm support’
Significantly, when the fact-finding mission was established in 2022, India had only abstained and not voted against. Iran ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali was quick to thank India for its “principled and firm support…including opposing an unjust and politically motivated resolution”. “This stance reflects India’s commitment to justice, multilateralism, and national sovereignty,” said the ambassador in a post on X.India has mostly in the past voted against similar resolutions in the UN, following the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. In 2024, India abstained because of comments made by Iranian authorities on the J&K issue. It was back to voting against in 2025 after assurance from Iran it would not comment on India’s internal affairs.India has traditionally viewed country-specific resolutions and intrusive investigative mechanisms as politically motivated. According to sources, India’s vote this week was aligned with its own interests and not with the concerns of major groups in the council.While underscoring its strategic autonomy, India’s backing of Iran also suggests it has not given up yet on the strategic Chabahar port in Iran that finds itself in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump. The Trump administration had last year revoked the sanctions waiver issued in 2018 but later extended the waiver till April 2026 this year, allowing India a temporary reprieve. India said last week it remains in touch with the US to work out this arrangement. India sees Iran as playing a pivotal role in facilitating its connectivity with Afghanistan and central Asian countries.Underlining the need for India to work with Iran on the Chabahar port, a source speaking on condition of anonymity said India’s interest lies in maintaining a functional relationship with Iran and that is reflected in India’s rejection of the resolution that called for an urgent investigation by the fact-finding mission “in the context of the repression of nationwide protests beginning 28 Dec 2025”.The fact that this wasn’t a regular session, but a special one called by the council to address deteriorating human rights situation in Iran was also seen as unwarranted by India.The resolution strongly deplored the violent crackdown of peaceful protests resulting in the deaths of “thousands of persons, including children, and large numbers of injured individuals, as well as the arrest of thousands in connection with the nationwide protests that started on 28 Dec 2025”.
