India must maintain strong ties with Iran as it seeks partnership with US-Israel-UAE bloc
The virtual meeting of foreign ministers of India, US, Israel and UAE is a strong manifestation of the change in West Asian geopolitics. If Israel and the UAE did not even have formal diplomatic ties a year ago, their growing economic and strategic cooperation is opening up opportunities for other powers, including India. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who is now in Israel, joined the Quadrilateral Conference after meeting his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, where they agreed to start talks for a free trade agreement. The four-nation meeting also points to India’s strategic desire to adopt a regional foreign policy strategy towards West Asia, which transcends its bilateralism. Over the years, India has built vibrant bilateral relations with all the countries of the grouping. It is a member of the Quad along with the US, Australia and Japan, which have common concerns and common interests on East Asia. Israel is one of the top defense suppliers to India. The UAE is critical to India’s energy security. The Gulf country, which hosts millions of Indian workers, has also shown interest in mediating between India and Pakistan.
In the past, India’s West Asia policy had three pillars – the Sunni Gulf monarchy, Israel and Iran. Now that the gap between Sunni states and Israel is being bridged, especially after the Abrahamic Agreement, the normalization agreements signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain under the patronage of the Trump administration, India has to take a regional approach. facing fewer challenges. Mr. Jaishankar has indicated that there will be more meetings between the four countries. While it is too early to talk about the strategic importance of such a grouping, there are areas where it could deepen its engagement – trade, energy ties, fighting climate change and enhancing maritime security. But India should also be wary of the challenges in the region. The US is clearly trying to reduce its footprint in East Asia as part of its axis to deal with the rise of China, which is redrawing the traditional equations of West Asia. India must be careful not to get caught up in the many conflicts in West Asia that may intensify amid growing regional rivalry. While the Abrahamic Agreement made it easier for India to find common ground with Israel and the emirate, the contrast between this emerging bloc and Iran remains as acute as ever. India, which sees itself aligned with the US in the Indo-Pacific, faces deepening insecurity in continental Asia following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. And it has to work with countries like Iran to deal with the challenges posed by post-US Afghanistan. So the challenge before New Delhi is to maintain a healthy relationship with Iran, even as it seeks to build a stronger regional partnership with the US-Israel-UAE bloc.
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