Former United States Congressman Dennis Kucinich has praised India’s balanced foreign policy amid the conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking in an interview on New Order TV, Kucinich highlighted New Delhi’s traditional approach of avoiding rigid binary alignment and maintaining good relations with partner states, both the United States and Iran.
“India’s position has usually been to avoid binary alignment. It works to have relationships with the US and Europe. It also works to keep the channels open with Iran. It looks for practical engagement with all states,” said Kucinich.
New Delhi has maintained good relations with the US, Europe, Middle Eastern states, and other major global partners in both political and economic spheres.
Dennis Kucinich Defends India’s Foreign Policy of Strategic Autonomy
According to Kucinich, India’s participation in BRICS, a political and economic bloc formed to enhance cooperation among member states, is not anti‑Western but aimed at maintaining engagement with states across the world.
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In his remarks during the interview, Kucinich echoed the key pillar of India’s foreign policy – avoiding rigid alignment with any single global power bloc.
He noted that keeping diplomatic channels open with both Western countries and Iran enhances India’s ability to engage with a broad range of partners.
Kucinich also referenced India’s role in BRICS, an economic and political grouping of emerging economies. He stated that India’s leadership within the bloc should not be framed as opposition to Western alliances, but as a means of expanding diplomatic and economic options.
“Its participation and leadership this year in BRICS isn’t anti-western. It’s basically to create some, some options. And you know there is, you know, India is well placed to argue for de-escalation, for payment flexibility without abrupt financial rupture, and for energy security, for food and fertilizer stability. I mean India is in an excellent place right now,” added Kucinich in the interview.
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Escalating Middle East conflict
Israeli military on Saturday reported hitting more than 250 Iranian and Hezbollah sites over the weekend, including missile production facilities and storage depots.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on its part said its forces have struck over 11,000 targets, including Iranian vessels, missile sites, and command centers.
Iranian media reported that a large water facility in Khuzestan province was also hit by U.S.-Israeli strikes, though officials said it remained operational.
Mobile phone footage also showed damage at the Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran, with fires and rubble visible across the campus.
At the same time, Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq announced plans to target U.S. and Israeli-linked sites in Jordan, warning civilians to stay away.
Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted 20 of 22 missiles launched by Iran toward its territory, while its air force has destroyed hundreds of missiles and drones since the war began.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels, aligned with Tehran, separately confirmed a second missile attack on Israel, claiming to have launched a barrage of cruise missiles and drones at vital military sites.
