Politics is complex and requires a creative mind to achieve one’s objective. On the international level, there has been a big churn since Donald Trump took the President’s office in the US. The US foreign policy has been changed to pander to Trump’s support base and it has had an impact on many countries engaged with Washington.
One of the countries feeling the heat is India. New Delhi has important relations with Russia and Iran which are essential to maintain its national interests. Both Russia and Iran face Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) restrictions from the US, which have made it difficult for India to engage them.
India buys a lot of its defence equipment from Russia, and the new sanctions have put pressure on New Delhi’s defence planning. In June, New Delhi was facing pressure from Washington to shelve its S-400 Triumf air defence systems deal with Moscow. However, India pushed through the deal and agreed to acquire five advanced air defence missile systems. These systems are essential from the point of view of India’s national security given the fact that China continues to build itself a modern army. The US clearly prioritised its national interest.
Similarly, New Delhi is once again facing pressure from Washington to stop purchasing oil from Iran from November 4. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley on her recent visit to India, affirmed that decision.
The 2+2 dialogue between India and US has been postponed due to the upcoming visit to North Korea by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. Once again, Washington has prioritised its national interest.
The US had recently begun to lay more emphasis on India’s role in the Indo-Pacific region and Afghanistan. By asking New Delhi to follow its sanctions against Iran and Russia, Washington is restricting its wriggle room. Also, India needs Iranian oil to continue fuelling its growth.
India’s national interest is affected because oil prices will go up if other suppliers aren’t able to supplant the market demand leading to a price rise of goods and services in India. Secondly, national security is threatened since one of the main oil suppliers to India is taken out of the picture. Iran is the third largest supplier of oil after Iraq and Saudi Arabia. How does the US expect India to play an important role on the world stage when it curtails its ability to operate.
By forcing India to follow US’ sanctions regime, Washington is not only hurting us diplomatically but also economically.
Today, US is replacing Pakistan with India by cutting its engagement with Islamabad. New Delhi needs to remind Washington that it cannot be trampled upon like Islamabad.
We are neither living on the doles of America nor completely dependent on them for the supply of our defence equipment. Although it is understandable that in diplomacy sometimes taking a step back means moving forward, hopefully, the Indian government will secure its interest in doing so.
Some sources have informed that the Chabahar port project being developed by India in Iran might be exempted from sanctions in context of Afghanistan, which is welcome news, if true. Tehran is a very important regional player for India.
