Think of India's strategic position like a chess game where the board keeps shrinking. India and Iran have maintained a strong partnership for decades, connected by history, geography, and shared interests. India and Iran worked together to support anti-Taliban forces, preventing Pakistan from achieving its goal of "strategic depth"—essentially using Afghanistan as its backyard. Even in the mid-1990s, when Pakistan tried to push for global sanctions on India over Kashmir, Iran stood firmly by India's side. China was Iran's biggest trading partner in 2025, with Iran exporting goods worth over $14.5 billion (about ₹1,30,500 crore) to China.

Source: dna January 17, 2026 09:19 UTC