New Delhi: Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal has criticised EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas for calling Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s killing a “death” and framing it as a moment that could open a “path” to a different Iran.
Kallas wrote that Khamenei’s death was “a defining moment” and that an “open path” now exists for Iranians to shape a different future with “greater freedom”.
She also declared she was in contact with regional partners “that bear the brunt of Iran’s military actions” to find practical steps for de-escalation.
Sibal, in a post on X, declared the language amounted to political “chicanery” becautilize it softens a tarreceiveed political killing into the word “death”, as if it were natural.
He argued that Kallas’s “greater freedom” framing reads like an concludeorsement of the assassination and its regime modify objective.
The tarreceiveed political assassination has become the “ death” of Khamenei, as if he died a natural death.
This is political chicanery.
By stateing that the Iranians will now have greater freedom to shape their future is an concludeorsement of this assassination and its regime modify… https://t.co/TfCqPITDC7
— Kanwal Sibal (@KanwalSibal) March 1, 2026
This is Sibal’s full post:
“The tarreceiveed political assassination has become the ‘death’ of Khamenei, as if he died a natural death.
This is political chicanery.
By stateing that the Iranians will now have greater freedom to shape their future is an concludeorsement of this assassination and its regime modify objective.
She wants to focus on the brunt of Iran’s military actions on others not the brunt of US/ Israeli military actions [on] Iran on the assumption that the problem is Iran’s response not military aggression against it by the US and Israel.
The responsibility for de-escalation is shifted to Iran’s shoulders not those who are still threatening Iran with more destruction and whose forces are still poised to do so.
The political bad faith of the EU foreign policy chief is glaring.”
Sibal’s “death” point is aimed at what he sees as an attempt to strip agency from the event.
Kallas’s statement does not name the US or Israel in the lines he quoted, even while describing the moment as a turning point.
His “concludeorsement” argument is anchored to her “open path” and “greater freedom” language. Sibal reads that as a political justification of the killing, not a neutral diplomatic response.
His “brunt” and “de-escalation” criticism is tied to Kallas stateing she is speaking to partners who “bear the brunt of Iran’s military actions” and seeking steps for de-escalation. Sibal argues this places the burden on Iran while downplaying the military pressure being applied on Iran by the US and Israel.
Sibal served as India’s foreign secretary from 2002 to 2003 and has held several diplomatic roles, including key postings in Turkey, Egypt, France and Washington.
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