The Centre on Saturday dismissed as “baseless” social media claims that the United States had sought India’s permission to launch strikes on Iran using Indian territory.
In a statement posted on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urged people not to fall for misinformation, especially at a time of heightened tensions in West Asia. “Please stay alert against such false and baseless claims and posts on social media!,” the ministry said.
The clarification comes amid a flood of online posts suggesting that Washington had approached New Delhi under a bilateral military pact, a claim the government said had no factual basis.
Fake News Alert!
Please stay alert against such false and baseless claims and posts on social media! pic.twitter.com/oKRc2kefAo
— MEA FactCheck (@MEAFactCheck) March 21, 2026
What LEMOA actually allows
The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), signed between India and the US in 2016, is limited to logistical support such as refuelling and maintenance. It does not allow either country to use the other’s territory for offensive military operations.
The government has previously issued similar denials when speculation surfaced about US forces using Indian ports or airspace.
Why the claim spread
The rumours gained traction after reports of US military action near the region, including an incident involving an Iranian vessel close to Sri Lanka, which triggered speculation about India’s possible role.
New Delhi has firmly ruled out any involvement, making it clear that Indian facilities were not used in any such operation.
This comes as tensions in West Asia have been steadily rising since late February, after US and Israeli strikes triggered a wave of retaliation from Iran across the region.
Meanwhile, the United States has sought access to British bases for operations linked to the conflict, a request that London has agreed to under limited terms, while maintaining it does not want to be drawn deeper into the war.