India has rejected claims that the US is using Indian ports to launch attacks against Iran, describing the allegations as “fake and false”.

The denial came after former US Army colonel Douglas Macgregor suggested in a television interview that the US Navy had begun relying on Indian ports during the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Speaking to the US-based channel One America News Network (OANN), Macgregor claimed that American forces were facing difficulties after several of their facilities had allegedly been destroyed.

“All of our bases have been destroyed. Our harbour 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,” Macgregor said during the interview.

The Indian Government moved quickly to reject the claim.

In a post on X, the Press Information Bureau (PIB), which serves as the Government’s official fact-checking body, stated that the allegation was untrue.

“Claim: On a US-based channel, One America News Network (@OANN), former US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor made a statement suggesting that the United States is using Indian naval bases to attack Iran, amidst the ongoing Iran-US conflict. This claim is fake,” the PIB said.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also issued a similar clarification through its FactCheck handle on X.

“Fake News Alert! Claims being made on OAN, a US-based channel, that Indian ports are being used by the US Navy are fake and false. We caution you against such baseless and fabricated comments,” the post stated.

The clarification comes amid heightened tensions surrounding the ongoing Iran–US conflict and growing speculation about the role of regional partners in the confrontation.

Agencies