India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) recently attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi. Marking a significant event in attempts to strengthen strained ties with Iran, this trip is the EAM’s second visit within a month. The journey comes amidst escalating conflict in Afghanistan, where tension between the Taliban and Afghan security forces is on the rise.
The Significance of Iran to India
Iran holds an essential position in India’s geostrategic outreach because of its location and the access it provides India to landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia via the Chabahar Port. Central Asia, known for its rich natural resources, becomes easily accessible to India thanks to Iran. Moreover, India holds strategic and security interests in Afghanistan, making Iran’s geographical position even more crucial.
To sidestep obstacles set by Pakistan on its path to trading with Afghanistan, India has been developing the Chabahar port. Additionally, Iran’s abundant hydrocarbon resources make it a natural partner for India, a rapidly growing economy with a high demand for energy.
The Visits Importance and Strained Bilateral Ties
Several factors contribute to the tussle in the India-Iran relationship – India’s termination of oil imports from Iran due to US sanctions, slow progress in Chabahar port development, disagreements over the Farzad-B Gas Field, and the Iranian stance on Kashmir in recent years.
The EAM’s visit comes at a critical time when Afghanistan is experiencing significant changes – the completion of US troops’ pullout and increased Taliban attacks on Afghan cities. Both India and Iran express concern over the Taliban’s swift ascendency. In light of these events, closer cooperation between India and Iran, especially regarding Afghanistan, becomes imperative.
Challenges in the Current Scenario
Despite being regional powers, India and Iran are excluded from the upcoming “Troika plus” meeting, a U.S.-Russia-China-Pakistan coalition on the Afghanistan peace process set to take place in Doha. This exclusion poses a significant challenge for India’s foreign policy.
The persisting sanctions imposed on Iran by the US are another hurdle. Even though US President Joe Biden promised to overturn Donald Trump’s policy on Iran during his campaign, his administration is yet to revoke most of the additional sanctions instituted in 2017-2018.
A Look Towards the Future
In order to streamline its ties with Iran and simultaneously maintain good relations with the US and allies like Saudi Arabia and Israel, India needs to strike a balance. A welcome move in this direction is the formation of India-Uzbekistan-Iran-Afghanistan Quadrilateral Working Group for the joint use of Chabahar port. This is in line with India’s proposal to include the Chabahar port in the framework of the International North South Transport Corridor.