Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has a history of intervening in India’s internal matters, particularly in relation to the Muslim community. In 2017, he called for solidarity within the Muslim world to support 'oppressed Muslims' in Kashmir, aligning his comments with Pakistani propaganda on the region. His subsequent statements, including those made during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2020, portrayed Indian Hindus as extremists and condemned the actions of security forces during the Delhi riots as a massacre against Muslims.

Khamenei has issued warnings about India's position in the Islamic world and has employed social media hashtags like #IndianMuslimsInDanger to amplify his criticisms. This pattern of intervening in Indian issues is not isolated, with Khamenei making four notable remarks from 2019, when Article 370 was revoked, until 2024. Each time, India's Ministry of External Affairs has summoned the Iranian ambassador to express condemnation and disapproval of Khamenei’s remarks.

The implications of Khamenei's statements are significant as they not only fuel anti-India sentiments among some sections of the Indian population but also strain diplomatic relations between India and Iran. The calls for Muslim unity against perceived oppression in Kashmir and the negative portrayal of India may bolster extremist narratives and complicate the Indian government's efforts to maintain a stable environment in the region, especially given the historical context of Indo-Pak relations.