India-Iran Relations

📌 Background & Key Features

• Civilisational ties: Historic cultural and trade links; India has long balanced Iran ties against US sanctions pressure and its own deepening US/Israel/Gulf partnerships.
• Chabahar: Developed under a 2016 trilateral (India-Iran-Afghanistan) agreement; crucial for India’s connectivity to Central Asia via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), though repeatedly complicated by US sanctions.

📋 Quick Facts

📰 Current Affairs Linkage (2025-26)

• Iran-Israel/US war (2026): Following the February 2026 US-Israel strikes on Iranian nuclear/military sites, Iran retaliated against Gulf states including the UAE; India adopted a "measured and restrained" posture, balancing energy ties with Iran against its US and Gulf partnerships.
• The Indian tanker Jag Vasant was stranded 23 days in the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict before docking in Mumbai — illustrating India’s direct energy-security exposure to West Asian instability.
• India continued to press for de-escalation and diplomacy while safeguarding its Chabahar investment, which faced fresh US sanctions pressure even before the 2026 war.

📝 PYQs for Practice (Mains)