India votes against UNHRC resolution on Iran crackdown

India voted against a resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) condemning Iran’s violent crackdown on recent protests and extending international investigative mandates.
The resolution was adopted at the Council’s 39th special session with 25 votes in favour, seven against and 14 abstentions. Besides India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia and Iraq voted against the measure. European Union members led the support, joined by the United Kingdom and Iceland, along with several Latin American countries.
The resolution expressed concern over what it described as “widespread and systematic” violations following protests that began on December 28, 2025, citing reports of thousands of deaths, including children, mass arrests and injuries to civilians. It extended the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran by two years and renewed the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for one year, while calling for an “urgent investigation” into alleged abuses.
India’s vote comes amid sensitive diplomatic and strategic considerations.
New Delhi is in talks with the United States over an extended sanctions waiver for the Chabahar port project in Iran, which expires in April 2026. The port is central to India’s connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. The United States is not a member of the UNHRC and has disengaged from the body.
Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, welcomed New Delhi’s stance. “I extend my sincere gratitude to the Government of India for its principled and firm support of Iran at the UN_HRC, including opposing an unjust and politically motivated resolution,” he said in a social media post, adding that the vote reflected “India’s commitment to justice, multilateralism, and national sovereignty.” Sources said India’s position was guided by its long-standing opposition to country-specific resolutions and investigative mechanisms.