Iran
India & Iran share ancient cultural ties & growing strategic interests
energy trade & infra projects eg. Chabahar bind them, geopolitical challenges, sanctions, regional volatiilty affect trajectory of this crucial partnership
Major Achievements
Chabahar port: access to afghanistan, central asia, bypassing pakistan
Energy trade: Iran was major oil supplier (12% before 2019 sanction)
multilateral ties: BRICS, SCO
conuter terroism: intelligence sharing
INSTC projects
Chabahar Port
signed 2024: india to develop & operate Shahid Beheshti Terminal
strategic value: access to afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan
connectivity boost: to Kazakstan, Turkmenistan, Europe via INSTC
Challenges
Issue Details US Sanctions disrupted oil imports, delayed projects India US Israel nexus cause iran’s disconfort, limits coop Mid East conflicts iran’s role in yemen, syria complicate india’s neutrality project delays bureaucracy, slow pace affect chabahar & INSTC Iran’s domestic instability inflation, unrest security concerns iran’s support to Hamas, Hezbollah Afghanistan policy shift US exit altered India’s iran based afghan approach
JCPOA & Impact
JCPOA 2015: Iran P5+1 nuclear deal, later derailed by US exit
impact on india
energy security: higher crude prices post sanctions
chabahar delay: US sanctions restrict investment flow
geopolitical balancing: strain india’s ties with Iran amid US pressure
current status: JCPOA talks remain stalled; future uncertain
Way forward
explore gas & petro chemicals deals, revive TAPI
trade pos thru PTA, seek investment modelled on CHina - Iran pact
Infra Push: support indian ventures in Chabahar EEZ & Farzad B
enhance intelligence sharing in Pak Afghan belt
INSTC expansion: deepen ties w/ Iran, Russia, Central Asia for trade routes
Multilateral leverange: engage Iran via BRICs, SCO on regionsal issues
Afghan cooperation: promote joint reconstruction for mutual regional interests
cultural diplomacy: promote heritage based exchanges & goodwill