New Delhi: It took India four days, mounting opposition criticism, the US Navy’s sinking of an Iranian warship off Sri Lanla and specific instructions telling its envoys abroad not to sign condolence books before foreign secretary Vikram Misri finally walked into the Iranian embassy in New Delhi to pay official respects.The belated move, which came Thursday, underscores the Modi government’s floundering response to the US-Israeli war on Iran, a country with which India has enjoyed close economic, strategic and cultural ties. Later the same day, the Indian Navy released an account of its search efforts after the IRIS Dena went down, avoiding any mention of the US role in its sinking or the fact that India had just played host to the Iranian vessel during its fleet review in Viasakhapatnam.Inside the Iranian embassy in central Delhi, Misri signed the register on a black cloth draped table placed beside a large photograph of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in coordinated missile strikes by the United States and Israel on Tehran. Iranian state media confirmed his death a day later.Misri then exchanged a few words with Iran’s ambassador to India in a brief interaction.The Ministry of External Affairs framed the visit as a condolence gesture from India. “Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri visited the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and signed the condolence book, on behalf of the people and the Government of India, on the demise of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.The text of his message was not made public, but Misri apparently wrote two sentences, as per sources: “Sincerest condolences on behalf of the government and people of India. We pray for peace for the departed soul.”At the same time, Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar spoke with the Iranian foreign minister Abbas Aragchi in the afternoon. Neither he nor his ministry provided any details about the conversation. Their previous phone call took place on the day hostilities broke out after the US and Israel began missile strikes on Iran, followed by retaliatory Iranian strikes in several countries across the region.Misri’s visit to the Iranian embassy came after days of silence from New Delhi on the death of Khamenei. The silence drew criticism from opposition parties as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of calls with Arab leaders condemning Iranian strikes on their territory. The criticism was further amplified by the fact that Modi had been in Israel just two days before the strikes began.As Iranian embassies across capitals opened condolence books, ambassadors of friendly nations signed them as standard practice. India’s ambassadors did not. The Wire can confirm that on March 3, a cable was sent from headquarters signed by the joint secretary in charge of the Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran (PAI) division to all Indian missions asking them to hold off and seek clearance from the MEA first.The foreign secretary’s visit to the Iranian embassy will likely signal an end of this hold.It is understood that unlike some other countries that issued separate condolence messages, India will not release a formal statement. Official sources said the foreign secretary’s signing of the register conveyed India’s condolences.There is no indication yet that Jaishankar will also sign the condolence book. He had done so when Iran’s then president Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in 2024.The ministerial phone call also took place a few hours after Araghchi had given Iran’s first response to the sinking of frigate IRIS Dena – torpedoed by a US submarine in Sri Lanka’s Extended Economic Zone (EEZ) off Galle on Wednesday – describing it as “a guest of India’s Navy” returning from the Milan 2026 exercises at India’s invitation.“The US has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores. Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning. Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set,” Araghchi posted on X.The US Secretary of War Peter Hegseth had earlier stated that an Iranian ship was torpedoed to “quiet death” by a US submarine.India’s first official response was a Navy press note confirming receipt of a distress call via Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo “in the early hours of 04 March 26” from the ship 20 nautical miles west of Galle in Sri Lanka’s EEZ.As per the release, the Navy “promptly” deployed a maritime patrol aircraft at 10 a.m., followed by another aircraft with life rafts on stand-by. INS Tarangini arrived at the search area 4 pm, but “by this time Search and Rescue (SAR) had been undertaken by Sri Lankan Navy and other agencies”.The Sri Lankan foreign minister Vijitha Herath said in parliament that the distress call received was at 5.08 a.m., while rescue operations were launched at 7 a.m. Both India and Sri Lanka have the same time zone.“INS Ikshak has also sailed from Kochi to augment the search efforts and continues to remain in the area to search for missing personnel as a humanitarian measure for ship wrecked personnel. Coordination with the Sri Lankan side on Search and Rescue efforts is ongoing,” said the Indian Navy statement, issued more than 36 hours after the Iranian ship sank.In total, 32 Iranian sailors were rescued and have been hospitalised, while 87 bodies have been retrieved from open waters by Sri Lankan Navy. Another Iranian ship, , IRIS Bushehr, is also waiting in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone, as per Lankan authorities.In a televised broadcast on Thursday night, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the crew of the second ship would disembark at Colombo port, while the vessel itself would be taken to Trincomalee harbour. He said keeping the vessel at the port would increase risks to shipping and the economy.The carefully worded Indian Navy statement, focused solely on humanitarian SAR without addressing the US strike, landed amid intensifying domestic and external pressure for New Delhi to speak politically on the sinking of a Milan participant in its strategic backyard.Opposition fire intensified with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi declaring “the conflict has reached our backyard”, while party general secretary Jairam Ramesh called the government “timid and fearful” for its silence.Sri Lankan member of parliament Namal Rajapaksa’s comment that the incident raises “concern for India as well” further amplified calls for a statement.“This is a serious concern for Sri Lanka and also the Indian Ocean, and I’m sure for India as well,” Rajapaksa told NDTV. “The war is happening miles away and we can see movements in the Indian Ocean just 40 nautical miles from the Gulf in Sri Lanka.”Former Indian foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal had pointed out that the United States had “ignored India’s sensitivities as the ship was in these waters because of India’s invitation”.“We are far from politically or militarily responsible for the US attack. Our “responsibility” is at a moral and human plane,” he wrote on X, adding that a “word of condolence” from Indian Navy “at the loss of lives of those who were our invitees and saluted our president would be in order”.Before India sought to course correct on Iran by signing the condolence book and issuing the Navy statement on IRIS Dena, there had been a detectable sense of frustration in Iran’s official circles over India’s posture.Earlier in the day, Iranian ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali said Iran would respond “very strongly” to the sinking of the frigate Dena, which he claimed was unarmed while taking part in friendly military exercises.“This ship was unarmed, and it was returning after taking part in peace duty. And this is very important, because I think that the United States and the Zionists want to disturb and destroy all the international laws,” he said.Before India sought recalibrate its position on Iran by signing the condolence book and issuing the Navy statement on IRIS Dena, there was a palpable sense of frustration in Iran’s official circles over Indian posture.According to those familiar with the thinking of Iranian officials, there was a perceived “shortcoming” in India’s stance, particularly over what they saw as a failure to uphold the principles of international law after the recent strikes.The same sources said Tehran had called on the international community, India among them, to condemn the recent strikes and the killing of the Supreme Leader. They also believed that historic ties between the two countries should remain “free” from the influence of third countries such as the United States or Israel.