INDIA’S BALANCING ACT
Before conflict broke out in February, Indian diplomacy in the Middle East was viewed as a successful balancing act between several countries that are at odds with each other.
India, under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government since 2014, has expanded cooperation with Israel while deepening links with Gulf states such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Simultaneously, it has built upon its historically close ties with Iran, despite pressure from successive US administrations and Iran’s deteriorating relations with Israel and several Gulf states in recent years.
However, India decided not to criticise Israel and the US when they launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb 28. Then on Mar 4, India again decided not to criticise the US for sinking an Iranian frigate as it returned from a naval exercise organised by India.
This led to a significant amount of criticism from analysts and opposition politicians in India. There is public perception that Indian leaders do not want to upset US President Donald Trump and thus have abandoned an old and trusted ally.
In addition, it is possible that the Indian government assumed the conflict would be short-lived. Maintaining a position of silence would be in India’s interest when weighed against the potential repercussions of incurring Mr Trump’s wrath.
Despite backlash over India’s apparent acquiescence to the US, Iran has indicated that India remains a friendly country. Delhi’s seeming unwillingness to publicly offer support for Tehran does not seem to have invited any clear consequence.