India’s Niggling Iranian Factor

The nuclear deal signed between Iran and ‘P-5 plus one’ countries on July 14 has led to a set of apprehensions and expectations from different parts of the globe. Commentators have been busy speculating Iran’s behaviour in the region as well as with rest of the world in this post-deal scenario. A host of commentaries have also come out from India in the last few days expressing what could be Delhi’s apprehensions and expectations.A section of Indians argue that since India was among the few countries ??? along with China and Russia ??? to meaningfully engage with Iran during its days of international isolation, it should find it easier to deepen and strengthen that cooperation further. Others in India?,? however, feel that the country has missed a golden opportunity to do so because of its ambivalence at a time when Iran was desperately seeking friends.Advertisement opens in new windowThe truth perhaps is somewhere in between. India was among the countries that continued to engage with Iran during much of its period of isolation. Through its purchase of Iranian oil and gas?,? Delhi provided Tehran with the much needed foreign exchange and some of the other essential goods. More importantly, India’s engagement also allowed Iran to question the legitimacy and effectiveness of its international isolation that the US and its western allies tried for over three decades.But India also faltered. There were phases when Delhi buckled under American pressure and decided to go along with the western camp against Iran. This happened not only during the much publicised and also widely criticised vote against Iran’s nuclear programme at the IAEA but also on other occasions.Till recently key members of the Indian foreign policy establishment did not believe a deal between Iran and the West was possible. Many Indian diplomats and officials were also shy of visiting Iran out of fear that this could jeopardise their future visit to the US.Advertisement opens in new windowBut that sai