The BRICS summit boosts India-Iran ties
Context
The article discusses the meeting between India and Iran on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. It primarily focuses on the discussion between both partners about the Gaza conflict.
Relevance:
GS-02 (International Relations)
Background:
- Iran, which is stuck in the conflict, expects India’s support for de-escalation.
- While India maintains a neutral stance and goodwill with both Israel and Iran, the global community looks to India for its potential role in easing tensions in Gaza.
Dimensions of the Article:
- Highlights from the BRICS Summit
- Implications for India
- Way Forward
Highlights from the BRICS Summit
- During their first meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the significant but untapped potential between India and Iran.
- President Pezeshkian lauded India’s global influence and emphasised India’s potential role in mediating the Gaza conflict.
- Both nations discussed on strengthening cooperation, particularly around the Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
- President Pezeshkian also appreciated India’s support in securing Iran’s membership in key organisations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS.
- Iran’s abundant resources in oil and natural gas are central to India’s energy needs. The country holds an estimated 209 billion barrels of oil and 33,988 billion cubic metres of natural gas. This resource wealth makes Iran a critical partner for India’s energy security, particularly as it looks to diversify suppliers and increase imports from Iran.
Implications for India
- Chabahar port: The Chabahar port stands as a central piece that holds the relationship between India and Iran.
- Located outside the Strait of Hormuz, Chabahar is India’s reliable trade route.
- It even safeguards Indian trade from Persian Gulf conflicts.
- The recent 10-year operation agreement for Chabahar will also allow direct access to India’s ports like Kandla and Mumbai, along with the development of a new railway linking Chabahar with Zahedan, Iran, and potentially further into Afghanistan.
- Energy Supplies: Before U.S. sanctions in 2019, Iran supplied nearly 12% of India’s crude oil needs. Resuming this trade could strengthen India’s energy supply chain. Meanwhile, the longstanding Iran-Oman-India gas pipeline proposal, though decades old, may gain traction given the recent Iran-Oman agreement to develop two underground gas pipelines.
- Defence: India can benefit from Iran’s developed modern weaponry. It could consider collaboration for importing their drones, ballistic missiles, and hypersonic technologies. It could also support India’s interest in combating terrorism and seek help in maritime security collaborations in the Persian Gulf.
Way Forward
- India could act as a neutral mediator and calibrate diplomatic strategies between both countries.
- Meanwhile, it is also important for both nations to exercise diplomacy to avoid potential misunderstandings.
- The recent BRICS Summit meeting could be a pivotal step, setting the stage for India and Iran to renew their longstanding ties and collaboratively tackle critical regional and global issues.
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