It was the privately-sponsored Russian expedition to the North Pole in August 2007 that opened a new competitive era in Arctic geopolitics, and the technologically elegant PR-trick with planting the flag into the crisscross point of meridians on the depth of 4,261 m produced a resonance that distorted strategic thinking about, and political interactions in the Arctic region.

• Pavel K. Baev
• July 2013
• Strategic Analysis

Trade has been the dominant factor in India's relationship with Saudi Arabia, with the import of oil being a major component. India views Saudi Arabia as a country with which it can forge security ties in order to deal with terrorism, piracy and criminal elements. Diplomatically, it could be a gateway for India into the wider Arab and Islamic world. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has reciprocated India's initiatives relating to issues of mutual interest. Although some hurdles remain, it is time for both countries to work towards building a strong strategic partnership.

• Prasanta Kumar Pradhan
• March 2013
• Strategic Analysis

Political tensions and rivalry between Iran and Israel have cast a shadow over India's bilateral relations with both these countries. While one offers energy security, the other provides military–security capability towards ensuring greater Indian influence in the Middle East. Conscious of their relative advantages and challenges, India has managed to maintain a fine balance in its relations with Iran and Israel.

• P. R. Kumaraswamy
• November 2012
• Strategic Analysis

Most of the discourses on India–Iran relations are either focused on cultural and civilisational links with Iran or its relevance as an energy-rich nation. Its transit potential in providing India with access to Central Asia has not received adequate attention.

• Meena Singh Roy
• November 2012
• Strategic Analysis

India's relationship with Iran has been uneven owing to external factors. This article traces the role of the Pakistan factor in this relationship, wherein the religious identity of a fellow Islamic nation, the strategic outlook towards Afghanistan, and energy relations between the three countries are discussed. The article outlines the Pakistani primacy in the India–Iran strategic relationship and showcases how Afghanistan is the glue for India–Iran relations despite the breaks in their continuing relationship.

• Siddharth Ramana
• November 2012
• Strategic Analysis

This article looks at relations between Iran and India, with a focus on energy, in the past as well as currently. It will examine the state of the energy sector in Iran in light of the US-sponsored sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic and the Iranian threat to close off the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. It will analyse what this portends for Iran's position in the international oil and gas market, and the impact this may have on larger India–Iran relations, given that energy is a core factor in their bilateral ties.

• Shebonti Ray Dadwal
• November 2012
• Strategic Analysis

Efforts undertaken to address concerns generated by the Iranian nuclear issue have primarily followed a dual-track approach made up of punitive non-proliferation and economic sanctions at the multi-lateral and unilateral levels and diplomatic-political engagement across the bilateral, tri-lateral and multi-lateral spectrum. These have, however, not been successful in ‘forcing’ cooperation from Iran on core issues of concern, including in such activities as the stopping of uranium enrichment activities.

• S. Samuel C. Rajiv
• November 2012
• Strategic Analysis

India's ties with Iran have become an irritant in the India–US relationship. Several scholars have alleged that the US is influencing India's Iran policy. This article examines three cases in which the US is said to have influenced India's position: the Iran–Pakistan–India (IPI) pipeline; India's votes against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency; and the Reserve Bank of India's guidelines of December 2010, which stopped oil payments to Iran through the Asian Clearing Union.

• Uma Purushothaman
• November 2012
• Strategic Analysis

For the longest part of the two decades since the end of the Cold War, there were mostly Indian perspectives, rather than debates, on Iran and bilateral relations. Domestic debates on Iran began in 2005 and continued until mid-2008, reaching a crescendo during this period and dissipating soon after. The debates, when they took place, were not about influencing the government's Iran policy.

• Atul Mishra
• November 2012
• Strategic Analysis

The article proposes to trace India's relations with Iran in the post-Cold War period, to identify the highs and lows in its contours and analyse the current situation. No country, however powerful, can formulate and implement its policy towards another in a total vacuum. India's Iran policy, as well as its foreign policy on the whole, reflects its domestic and external concerns and compulsions. India's need to secure its interests and broaden its options is unexceptionable.

• Gulshan Dietl
• November 2012
• Strategic Analysis

The early reactions from Turkey and Iran underline their readiness to work with the Taliban to safeguard their interests and expand their regional influence. Both are also willing to work with other regional actors to mitigate traditional and non-traditional security threats emanating from Afghanistan.

• Md. Muddassir Quamar
• September 03, 2021
• Comment

Maintaining security and stability in Central Asia seems to be a key pillar of Russia’s Afghan calculus. By positioning itself as an interlocutor of the Taliban, Russia aims to project itself as an indispensable pole in resolving global and regional issues.

• Rajorshi Roy
• August 31, 2021
• Comment

India and GCC share convergence of ideas and interests along with the political will to collaborate in the hydrogen energy sector. There is a need to provide impetus to the public and private partnerships in this sector as it has a strong potential for growth in future.

• Lakshmi Priya
• August 27, 2021
• Issue Brief

Israel and UAE have laid a strong foundation for their relationship by signing the Abraham Accords. While both are prioritising economic cooperation and exploring opportunities in other key sectors, how they build convergences over complex regional issues remains to be seen.

• Prasanta Kumar Pradhan
• July 12, 2021
• Comment

The formation of a new coalition government may have ended the two-year-long stalemate in Israeli politics, but considering its razor-thin majority in the parliament and notable differences of opinion among various constituent parties, its sustainability remains to be seen.

• Jatin Kumar
• July 05, 2021
• Comment

The tenure of Ebrahim Raisi as Iran's President is not likely to be a smooth sail, considering the immense challenges that lie ahead on both domestic and foreign policy fronts.

• Prabhat Jawla
• June 25, 2021
• Comment

The recent protests in Oman over economic slowdown due to the coronavirus pandemic pose a major economic and political challenge for Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said, the new ruler of Oman.

• Lakshmi Priya
• June 25, 2021
• Comment

While Ankara can take respite in President Biden’s decision to continue discussions on contentious issues, it would have to invest more diplomatic capital to overcome the challenges facing its relations with the US.

• Md. Muddassir Quamar
• June 21, 2021
• Comment

The expected victory of a hardline, conservative candidate in the forthcoming Iranian presidential elections could become a hindrance to fulfilling the country’s economic agenda and lead to greater domestic instability.

• Nagapushpa Devendra
• June 03, 2021
• Comment

The political deadlock in Israel is set to continue, with Netanyahu failing to garner adequate support and Yair Lapid facing the deadline of June 2, 2021 to cobble together the necessary support to form a coalition government.

• Jatin Kumar
• May 28, 2021
• Comment