India's Diplomatic Tightrope: Navigating the Israel-Iran Conflict
India faces a complex diplomatic situation as the US-Israel conflict with Iran escalated in late February-early March 2026
Prime Minister Modi had visited Israel just days before the strikes (February 25-26, 2026), during which India and Israel elevated their relationship to a "Special Strategic Partnership"
Following the strikes, PM Modi held phone calls with key Gulf leaders, condemning violations of territorial integrity and stressing the need for dialogue and diplomacy
India's official position has been that it supports ceasefire, dialogue, and adherence to international law — without endorsing or criticising either the US-Israeli strikes or Iranian actions by name
More than 10 million Indians reside in Gulf countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain), whose safety is a primary concern
37 Indian-flagged ships with approximately 1,109 Indian seafarers were reported stranded in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman as the conflict escalated
India imports approximately 85% of its crude oil, with a significant portion from Gulf producers — making energy security a core consideration in India's diplomatic calculus
India's Strategic Autonomy Doctrine in Foreign Policy
India's foreign policy tradition, rooted in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) founded in 1961 by Nehru, Tito, and Nasser, holds that India should not automatically align with any power bloc. In the post-Cold War era, India rebranded this principle as "Strategic Autonomy" — the doctrine that India will pursue its national interest independently, maintain bilateral relationships across adversarial blocs, and avoid binding military alliances.
India's diplomatic messaging — emphasising dialogue, territorial integrity, and the safety of civilians — is a calibrated application of strategic autonomy designed to preserve all bilateral relationships while the conflict's outcome remains uncertain.
India-Israel Relations: Defence, Technology, and the New "Special Strategic Partnership"
India and Israel normalised diplomatic relations in 1992. Since then, bilateral relations have grown substantially, particularly in defence. Israel is India's third-largest defence supplier (after Russia and the US), providing systems like the Barak missile, Phalcon AWACS (airborne warning systems), Heron drones, Spike anti-tank missiles, and a wide range of electronic warfare systems.
India's decision to elevate ties to "Special Strategic Partnership" just before the strikes on Iran created a perception management challenge — Gulf states and Iran read the timing as Indian endorsement, requiring Modi's subsequent calls to Gulf leaders to correct course.
India's Gulf Diaspora: Human Security and Economic Stakes
The Indian diaspora in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain — constitutes over 9-10 million people, the largest concentration of the Indian diaspora anywhere in the world. This community is economically vital to both India and the host countries: they contribute skilled and semi-skilled labour across construction, hospitality, healthcare, and services, while sending remittances that form a major share of India's total annual inward remittances of approximately $125 billion (India is the world's largest remittance recipient).
With over 10 million Indians in the region and 37 ships stranded, the human security dimension compels India to stay engaged diplomatically with all parties — Gulf Arab states, Iran, Israel, and the US — simultaneously.
- Indian diaspora in GCC: 9-10 million people; UAE alone hosts ~3.5 million
- India's annual remittances from Gulf: largest share of total ~$125 billion inward remittances
- India-Israel "Special Strategic Partnership" elevated: February 25-26, 2026 (PM Modi's state visit)
- Israel is India's third-largest defence supplier (~$2-2.5 billion annual bilateral defence trade)
- India imports ~85% of crude oil; Gulf producers (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE) are top suppliers
- 37 Indian-flagged ships with 1,109 Indian seafarers stranded in Persian Gulf/Gulf of Oman (March 2026)
- India-Iran Chabahar Port: India's strategic gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia; exempted from US sanctions
- Operation Raahat (2015): ~5,000 Indians + 1,800 foreign nationals evacuated from Yemen
- India's stated position: Support ceasefire, dialogue, and international humanitarian law; no explicit endorsement of either side