India’s deepening ties with Iran, balancing act between Israel and Palestine, and independent stance on Russia and China are reshaping global power dynamics, much to America’s discomfort.
The recent long-term agreement between India, Iran, and Afghanistan over
the operation of Chabahar Port has reignited concerns within U.S. diplomatic
circles. Chabahar's strategic location along the coast of southeastern Iran is not merely a matter of trade and logistics; it has
profound implications for regional security, access to Central Asia, and the
broader global power struggle involving the United States, China, and Russia.
The Strategic Value of Chabahar
Chabahar is India's gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia,
bypassing its hostile neighbor, Pakistan. It offers India access to landlocked
Afghanistan and deeper markets in Eurasia, positioning New Delhi as a key
player in regional connectivity. It also counters China's ambitions under the
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship of Beijing’s Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), a
territory India claims in full.
For the U.S., Chabahar has been a double-edged sword. While
Washington informally supported India’s involvement during the height of the
Afghan war, its position has grown ambiguous since the U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
Now, any significant engagement with Iran is met with caution, as seen in U.S.
State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel’s warning that any country doing
business with Iran risks sanctions.
India’s Strategic Balancing Act
India's foreign policy in the 2020s is defined by multipolar
pragmatism. While a member of the U.S.-aligned Quad, India is also part of
BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). It continues to buy
discounted Russian oil despite Western sanctions and maintains cordial ties
with Iran, a country the U.S. has attempted to isolate. At the same time, India
has invested over $1.2 billion in Israel's Haifa Port, demonstrating that its
growing ties with Tehran do not compromise its relationship with Tel Aviv.
This balancing act underlines India's aspiration for
strategic autonomy. It will not be a client state in anyone's bloc, nor will it
align its foreign policy to serve the convenience of Western powers.
Iran, China, and the Port Conundrum
The U.S. was further unsettled when reports emerged that
Iran had sidelined India from the Chabahar-Zahedan rail project, ostensibly due
to delays and funding issues. Leaked drafts of the Iran-China 25-year strategic
partnership deal hinted at deepening cooperation between Tehran and Beijing.
This raised concerns in Washington about Chabahar falling into China's sphere
of influence. However, India continues to operate the port, and given its
contract, it is plausible that Indian logistics infrastructure may be
indirectly used for transporting Chinese goods—a geopolitical irony.
Thus, the U.S. and President Donald Trump is caught in a dilemma: While it seeks to contain China's BRI influence, it cannot support any economic
venture involving Iran, its longtime adversary.
The Pakistani Factor and American Blind Spots
Complicating matters further is Pakistan’s dual role.
Despite being a major non-NATO ally, Pakistan has actively facilitated Chinese
expansionism. Under the 1963 Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement, Islamabad ceded
5,180 sq km of Indian territory in PoK to China. The Karakoram Highway, a
strategic BRI route, runs through this disputed territory. China has also been
handed mining and infrastructure contracts in the Gilgit-Baltistan region,
including plans for a mega dam in Indian-claimed territory.
India has repeatedly highlighted these violations but
received tepid responses from Washington. While the U.S. supports IMF loans and
military aid to Pakistan, it turns a blind eye to Islamabad’s undermining of
Indian sovereignty and its support for terrorism. When Indian forces struck
terrorist camps in Pakistan, the U.S. was just watching Islamabad, but when
India reportedly struck military installations hosting U.S.-supplied aircraft,
Washington quickly engaged in damage control and aligned itself with Pakistan.
Such selective outrage raises serious questions about the
consistency of American foreign policy in South Asia.
The Nuclear and Red Line Paradox
Rumors of nuclear radiation leakage and suspected issues at
Pakistani nuclear facilities have not drawn U.S. condemnation. Instead, the
U.S. appears to have facilitated emergency support, possibly due to its deep
involvement in Pakistan's nuclear architecture. This double standard has not
gone unnoticed in New Delhi, which perceives Washington's strategic choices as
transactional rather than principled.
India’s Quiet Moves and U.S. Anxiety
India's recent easing of tensions with China along the Line
of Actual Control (LAC), and its calibrated response to global events such as
the Red Sea crisis and the Russia-Ukraine war, show that it refuses to be a
pawn in another Cold War.
Moreover, the possibility of India aligning commercially
with Iran, China, and even Afghanistan for trade corridors is a red flag for
U.S. strategic planners. Such a scenario could diminish U.S. influence in the
Indo-Pacific and undermine its broader Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Conclusion: A Multipolar Reality the U.S. Must Accept
India is no longer a junior partner—it is a civilizational
power with its own strategic calculus. While the U.S. may wish to see India
align more tightly with its objectives, it must first acknowledge and respect
India’s core interests.
To build a truly effective partnership, Washington must go
beyond pressuring New Delhi over Iran or expecting blind loyalty in global
forums. Instead, it must understand that a strong, autonomous India could be
the most credible counterbalance to both China and Islamic extremism in the
region.
In the end, Chabahar is not just a port. It is a symbol of India’s will to carve its own path—and a test of whether the U.S. can truly adapt to a multipolar world.
By Pradeep Mahaur – Pradeep Mahaur Magazine
Insights on Hindu Wisdom and Global Affairs from an Indic perspective.
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