India–Iran Bilateral Relations
India and Iran share deep civilisational, energy, and strategic ties. Iran has historically been a significant crude oil supplier to India; however, US-led sanctions from 2018–2019 compelled India to reduce Iranian oil imports to near-zero. The Chabahar Port project — a trilateral agreement among India, Iran, and Afghanistan — is India's most significant infrastructure investment in the region and provides India an alternative route bypassing Pakistan to reach Central Asia.
- At peak engagement (2015–2016), Iran supplied approximately 11% of India's crude oil imports, making it one of India's top-3 suppliers
- Following the reimposition of US secondary sanctions in 2018, India curtailed Iranian oil imports under economic pressure; imports dropped to near-zero by 2019
- The Chabahar Port Agreement (2016) and subsequent India–Iran bilateral investment treaty govern India's strategic foothold in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province
- India's engagement with Iran is further shaped by the connectivity imperative — Chabahar provides the only viable access to land-locked Afghanistan and Central Asia without passing through Pakistan
● Tracked since March 09, 2026 · last seen May 14, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief