Why India's Narendra Modi chose to back Israel over Iran

Why India's Narendra Modi chose to back Israel over Iran Submitted by Azad Essa on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 22:15 The shift reflects India's effort to strengthen ties with Israel to advance both its domestic and foreign policy objectives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, during a press conference in Jerusalem, on 26 February 2026 (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP) Off Why did India's Narendra Modi travel to Israel two days before the US and Israel launched a war on Iran ? That's the question Indians have been trying to answer over the last several days. The war in Iran, which has claimed 1,000 lives in Iran and wreaked havoc across the entire Gulf over the past seven days, already looks set to be one of the most consequential wars in the Middle East for a generation.