India–Iran Relations

Abstract

The current thrust in Indo-Iranian relations is just as old as the end of the Cold War. In the early 1990s Indo-Iranian interests converged around a number of areas, namely, energy, Central Asia, terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and Pakistan, security and domestic compulsions. It reached a peak during the period 2001–03 with the Tehran and Delhi declarations, which established a substantial set of framework for enhanced cooperation. Although India’s ties with Iran suffered with the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and New Delhi’s opposition to Iranian nuclear ambition, there’s little to indicate that the two countries are willing to abandon their mutually beneficial relationship. This article examines the nature and scope of Indo-Iranian relationship. It also reflects on the various challenges that this relationship faces in addition to the ‘US factor’ and analyses the future of Indo-Iranian ties in the context of ever-changing situation in their proximate neighbourhoods.