India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) issued a sharp “fake news alert” after a viral social media post claimed that the United States had sought India’s permission to use its territory to launch military operations against Iran. The clarification came via the MEA’s official fact-check account on the social media site X.
The viral claim originated from a journalist who alleged that the US was exploring the use of western India under the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) framework to support a military asset. The post further speculated about a possible offshore deployment near the Konkan coast, linking it to the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US.
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However, the MEA dismissed the assertions, indicating that no such development has taken place. “Fake News Alert! Please stay alert against such false and baseless claims and posts on social media!” the MEA’s post stated.
This was in response to Dutta’s post which read: “Breaking News: The US has asked permission from India to support a military asset that will be used to bomb Iran from Western India. In bureaucratic terms it means an interpretation of the LEMOA.”
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“No Indian Navy berth is long enough to host an aircraft carrier that is the size of nine football fields from home goal to a Romario kick. So, it will be at anchorage while the galleys (kitchens) will be filled up. The US military asset will be at anchorage off the Konkan coast,” he further wrote.
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What is LEMOA?
The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) is a bilateral logistics pact signed in 2016 between India and the United States. It allows the armed forces of both countries to access each other’s military facilities for refuelling, repair, supplies, and rest on a reimbursable basis.
It, however, does not permit basing of troops or automatic military operations from each other’s soil, and every request requires a case-by-case approval.
How countries use another nation’s territory for military action
Countries may use another nation’s territory for military operations through formal agreements or ad hoc permissions.
These include Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA), logistics pacts like LEMOA, or broader defence treaties such as the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and NATO frameworks under NATO.
For example, the US used bases in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during the Gulf War, and operated from Turkey’s Incirlik base during the Iraq War. Such use depends on host nation consent, strategic alignment, and legal frameworks with operational limits in place.
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