India Denies U.S. Navy Use of Ports in Iran Conflict

India's Ministry of External Affairs firmly denied reports on Wednesday that U.S. naval vessels are using Indian ports for refueling and operations amid the escalating conflict with Iran, labeling the claims as fabricated and baseless.

The denial came in response to statements made earlier in the week by retired U.S. Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor during an interview on the U.S.-based One America News Network. Macgregor asserted that U.S. military bases and harbor installations had been destroyed, forcing reliance on Indian ports. "All of our bases have been destroyed. Our harbor installations are destroyed. We are actually having to fall back on India and Indian ports, which is less than ideal, that is what the navy says," he said. The remarks, which circulated widely on social media, prompted swift rebuttal from New Delhi.

"Claims being made on OAN, a U.S.-based channel, that Indian ports are being used by the U.S. Navy are fake and false," the ministry's official FactCheck account posted on X, formerly Twitter. "We caution you against such baseless and fabricated comments." The statement, issued on March 4, 2026, aimed to counter speculation that India was providing...