India-Iran relations

The Trump administration’s decision to revoke India's sanctions waiver for Chabahar Port represents a significant geopolitical challenge.

Other governments that enjoy friendly ties with Israel have not hesitated to criticize it. What explains India’s reluctance? 

The shift from a security-focused engagement to broader cooperation with the Caucasus and Central Asian states underscores India’s pursuit of strategic depth.

The recurrent nature of tensions between Washington and Tehran will continue to test India’s balancing act. 

In the wake of leadership upheaval in Iran, the enduring alliance between India and Iran concerning the Chabahar port is poised to remain steadfast. 

And the dilemma that it presents for Washington.

India will develop the Shahid-Behesti Terminal of Iran’s strategic Chabahar port. Can it so do without facing U.S. sanctions?

The ongoing crisis in the Red Sea has created a strong impetus among IMEC partners to facilitate the project quickly. But speed should not be confused for wisdom.

In a fractious world where disputes appear intractable, India hopes to use its ambiguous silence as leverage to play its partners off of each other rather than offering support to any side.

India’s supposedly passive response is characteristic of New Delhi’s tightrope balance between Iran and the United States.

If New Delhi cannot insulate itself from the ongoing Israeli-Iranian tensions, then no amount of hedging or switching between strategic initiatives will bring its ambitions to fruition. 

The country risks being pulled into the middle of ongoing tensions between the West and Israel on the one hand and Iran on the other.