India Being 'Dragged' Into Iran-Israel War, Says Omar Abdullah After US Navy Sinks Iranian Warship
The J&K CM said that the attack on the Iranian warship IRIS Dena, which was returning as a guest of India, was "unfortunate".
By ETV Bharat Jammu & Kashmir Team
Published : March 5, 2026 at 4:09 PM IST
Jammu: Amid the escalating US-Iran-Israel war, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called the US Navy's attack on an Iranian warship returning from a joint drill with the Indian Navy as “unfortunate” saying India was being dragged into the conflict.
Talking to the media on the sidelines of a function here on Thursday, the J&K CM said, "It is unfortunate that there were attacks on an Iranian warship, which was our guest and had come to conduct some exercises”.
“It was attacked while it was returning and it is unfortunate. Our nation is being dragged into this...,” the CM said while referring to Wednesday's attack on Iranian warship frigate IRIS Dena off the Sri Lanka coast. At least 87 people were killed while 30 others were rescued in the attack. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who called the attack “quiet death”, said that an American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo”.
#WATCH | Srinagar: On protests by Shia Muslims against the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, J&K CM Omar Abdullah says, " i met the civil society and some religious leaders, and an appeal was issued to maintain peace... some mischiefs who try to disturb the… pic.twitter.com/BQKE1CK7pL
— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2026
CM Omar, who met civil society and religious leaders last evening in Srinagar, also addressed the evolving situation in Kashmir in view of the Shia protests against Ayatollah Khamenei's assassination in the US-Israel strikes.
“All of them have appealed to the people to maintain peace. Some mischievous elements may try to disrupt the peace of Jammu and Kashmir, but they should not be allowed to do so,” he said.
“People are concerned due to this situation. Many people from Jammu and Kashmir are currently stranded in Iran and efforts are being made to bring them back safely in collaboration,” he added.
Reacting to the filing of nomination for Rajya Sabha by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Omar said, “Nitish Kumar has been the long-serving Chief Minister of Bihar and it was natural that his term would end at some point”.
He said that this was an internal matter of the Bihar government and its allies, but since Kumar had once been part of the INDIA bloc with him, his entry into the Rajya Sabha three months after the elections was “noteworthy”. He appreciated Kumar's services and said that he hopes that he will play a positive and constructive role in the Rajya Sabha in the future.
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