INDIA-MIDDLE
EAST
by Cristee Arora
Table
of contents
01 Introduction
04 Present
Dynamics
02 Pre-Cold War
05 Challenges
03 Post-Cold War
relations 06 Conclusions
Introduction
The Middle East is a geographical and cultural region located
primarily in western Asia, but also in parts of northern Africa and
southeastern Europe. The western border of the Middle East is
defined by the Mediterranean Sea, where Israel, Lebanon, and
Syria rest opposite from Greece and Italy in Europe. Egypt in
Africa also borders the Mediterranean and is sometimes
considered as part of the Middle East, while Turkey and Cyprus
literally connect Europe to Asia and oscillate between being
called European and Middle Eastern.
Pre-Cold War
India and the Middle East have a history of trade dating back to ancient times. The
Silk Road and maritime routes connected the Indian subcontinent with the Arabian
Peninsula and beyond. Cultural exchanges between India and the Middle East have
been ongoing for centuries. This includes the spread of Indian religions, such as
Buddhism, to regions in the Middle East.The medieval period saw the arrival of
Islamic rulers and the establishment of sultanates in parts of India. This led to
increased cultural and economic interactions between the Indian subcontinent and
the Islamic world.
The Mughal Empire, which ruled over a significant part of the Indian subcontinent
from the 16th to the 19th centuries, had diplomatic and trade relations with Middle
Eastern powers. The Mughals maintained ties with the Safavids in Persia and the
Ottoman Empire. During the colonial period, European powers, including the British,
played a significant role in the Middle East and India. The Suez Canal, a vital
maritime route, became crucial for British colonial interests in both regions.
Post-Cold War
02 .
01.
During the Cold War, India’s relations with the United Arab
Oil Diplomacy: Post-1991 economic liberalization drove India’s Emirates (U.A.E.) did not extend much beyond minimal trade
outreach to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and expatriate labor. Meanwhile, India’s diplomatic ties with the
securing energy resources. Gulf Arab countries, including the U.A.E., were negligible,
primarily for two reasons. First, India’s passive alignment with
Trade Growth: India expanded trade with Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt and other socialist-leaning secular republics that sided
Iran, with a focus on oil imports and export of goods such as with Russia automatically set it against the United States, and
by extension, at odds with the latter’s Gulf security partners.
textiles, machinery, and agricultural products.
Second, the Gulf Arab countries’ strategic and military
partnership with Pakistan naturally meant that they sided with
Diaspora-Driven Remittances: Indian expatriates in the Gulf, Islamabad on the Kashmir issue.
primarily in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, contributed significantly to
India’s foreign exchange through remittances.
World Map
However, with the end of the Cold
War, India’s relations with the United
States began to improve. So, too, did
India’s economic performance and
prospects. These changes created an
environment more conducive to the
development of India-U.A.E.
economic relations. By the mid-
2000s, India’s economic ties with
the Emirates had grown stronger.
India-Iran Relations
India and Iran have interacted with each other since time immemorial. During the post-
independence period, their relations passed through strains. During the 1950s, Indo-
Iranian relations remained cool because of Iran's alignment with the West and India's
policy of non alignment. Their relations however started improving during the 1960s and
1970s, except during Ayatollah Khomeini's period.
After the end of the Cold War, common security threat perceptions brought India and Iran
closer. Iran was deeply concerned with the US ties with the Arab states, and unstable
states to its north. As a result Iran wanted to promote regional ties. India's main security
dilemmas arose from international pressures and regional rivalries. All this led to the
convergence of their interests, the main areas being—energy, Afghanistan, Central Asia
and business. As their interests coincide the two started making concious efforts to
improve ties by keeping up high level contacts, which was followed by very important visits,
particularly, Prime Minister Narasimha Rao's visit to Iran in 1993 and President Hashemi
Rafsanjani's visit to India in 1995.
The Indo-Iranian equation is a significant evolving factor affecting regional politics in
South and West Asia. Both the countries have realised that their relations were not
determined only by the issue of Islam but extend much farther. The mutual desire for
friendship and cooperation has lessened the misunderstandings and both the countries
can now look forward to a more stable relationship.
India-Iran Relations
Both Iran and India have demonstrated that their policies are governed solely by their
national interests. Mutual recognition that bilateral ties can be governed by this principle
should open doors for greater cooperation. It does not matter whether the incumbent
Iranian president is a ‘reformist’ or a ‘hardliner’—Rouhani was labelled the first, and Raisi
the latter, but relations with India under both remained at par. While Rouhani and Modi
exchanged visits in 2016 and 2018, respectively, and signed multiple agreements, Raisi
and Modi have also had fruitful exchanges on the sidelines of multilateral forums.
Indeed, the Chabahar deal was signed days before Raisi’s helicopter crash. In his
“message to the new world” as he called it, on 12 July 2024,[31] Pezeshkian, at the time still
‘president-elect’, stated that he supports a “balanced foreign policy” which preserves
Iranian and Persian pride, while negotiating with the world on the basis of “dignity, wisdom
and expediency”. Though India was not mentioned in the address, it is expected that he
will further improve India-Iran ties.
In any renewed engagement between the two countries, energy supplies will matter the
most. Before May 2019, Iran was supplying almost 10 percent of India’s oil needs. If India
re-commences imports from Iran, it could open up a whole new basket of possibilities to
fulfil its energy needs. Iran, which presently supplies to China too, will get a large market in
return.
Post-Cold War era to Present
Saudi Arabia Iraq
Saudi-Indian ties had been
Israel In the pa st , In di a ha d cl os e and diverse relations
with
er the
un de rg on e profound changes ov
to ve
tenuous at best due mainly
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it has been 30
years since Ind di a’ s th ird -la rg es t trade partner in the
ia and Israel no years. Iraq is In
relations. Howe suppliers of crude oil.
Cold War imperatives and
ver, these ties c rmalised th e to p th ree
ontinue to dom region and am on g
d
academic and m
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th e bi la te ra l tie s ha ve never been subjecte
ry However ,
regional political and milita
initial years, Ind both states. In s to
ia was balancin the
rio us sy stem ic in qu iry. As New Delhi seek
for the Palestin g its traditional suppo to se most
ce in the region, it is of ut
developments. But as the fa
ians with the ne rt its fo ot pr in t
w ly -f o u nd relations with incr ea se e
Israel, and by th s relations with Iraq ar
e mid-1990s, m importance that India’
of world politics started to
ilitary-security
cooperation be
came the princ itica l at te nt io n. In dia-Iraq trade has more
ipal driver of th accorded cr 0
relations. A reso e bilateral more than Rs 250,00
change in the past two
urce crunch inh ub le d si nc e 20 20 to
partnership, an ib it e d any grandiose than do oil
d in the initial ye
e ($ 30 bi lli on ), la rg el y on the back of Iraqi
ars, Israeli assis cror
nts
decades, structural constrai
upgrading India dian
’s aging MiG fig ted in
po rts bu t al so du e to other opportunities. In
small arms. Gra h ters and supply ex
dually, military ing ta ke n the lead on the
n ve
on this relationship have bee
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cooperation exp companies,
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as such as bord
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e r m Basra sewa
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avionics, missile anagement, erate.
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s and anti-missi
les, radars and the Beiji refinery to op
bilateral relatio
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greater cooperation on vari October when In ns received a b
oost last
dia’s External A
Jaishankar join ff a irs Minister S
issues of mutual concern. United Arab Em
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evoted to greate iddle
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.
Conclusion
Until the end of the Cold War India’s relations with West Asia
were primarily shaped by India’s policy responses to evolving
geopolitical ground realities internationally and in the region.
When India became independent, the West exercised almost
unchallengable influence and control over West Asia. All
independent West Asian countries then had strongly anti-
Communist, pro-West regimes and had become a part of the
American-led bloc in the context of the newly emerged Cold War.
However, to the West’s great disappointment, even anger, India
adopted a unique approach — not being aligned with either
camp.
Conclusion
Relations between India and the Middle East have long been based. on
three elements: manpower, remittances and oil. Traditionally, India has
served well in providing manpower for infrastructural developments in the
oil-rich Gulf countries and has in turn benefited from the massive
remittances flowing back home from its workers in the region. For their
part, the Gulf countries have historically served as a rich source of energy
for India. However, this relationship is rapidly extending into new domains
beyond the economic, specifically, transcending into the geopolitical
realm. With the United States shifting its security focus from the Middle
East to the Asia-Pacific, other major powers are seen as players that might
fill the void in Middle East security.
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