India vying for a role in Middle East peace
India has quietly stepped up its diplomatic offensive through a series of ministerial-level interactions through in-person visits as well as online meetings with the leaders of the Persian Gulf countries in the last few weeks.
During an official visit to Germany, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 22 April hinted at the possibility of New Delhi playing a role in restoring peace in the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States.
Asked at an event with the Indian diaspora in Berlin, he was asked if India has any role to play in the Middle East crisis, Rajnath was quoted by the Indian media as saying, "it is possible that tomorrow, the time may come when India plays its role in this and achieves success as well."
On 21 April, Rajnath amplified India's core interests in Middle East peace by pointing out that the current geopolitical instability can no longer be viewed as regional matters as their fall-outs are global in terms of energy security, food security and global economic stability.
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"For a developing country like India, which relies on the West Asian region for a significant share of its energy requirements, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are not distant events, they are stark realities with direct implications for our security and economic stability," he said.
As of now, there is no clarity what role India will play. But Rajnath's remarks come at a time when Pakistan tried to be the mediator between the United States and Iran even though the efforts have gone nowhere.
However, India has quietly stepped up its diplomatic offensive through a series of ministerial-level interactions through in-person visits as well as online meetings with the leaders of the Persian Gulf countries in the last few weeks. They are also looking at negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), looking at supply chain related issues with trade ministers of other GCC members also including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait.
The Middle East war has caused severe disruptions in the movement of cargo ships in international waters, particularly to the West Asian nations. The conflict has posed challenges for Indian exporters to ship goods to the Gulf region, with which India had a bilateral trade of $178 billion in 2024-25 ($56.87 billion exports and $121.67 billion imports).
Also, India has stepped up diplomatic engagement with Iran to secure safe passage for its vessels in the Strait of Hormuz after two Indian-flagged ships came under fire, even as disruptions in the region begin to weigh on oil movement through the critical corridor this month.
The Strait of Hormuz is keeping everyone on the edge. In less than 24 hours after opening the crucial chokepoint that handles roughly 20% of the world's seaborne oil cargo, Iran has decided to reimpose the blockade. Indian-flagged crude oil tankers trying to cross the Strait also came under fire from Iranian forces.
The US and Iran vying with each other to control the Strait has made the truce between them extremely shaky. The question that reverberates is what happens if the peace talks collapse completely and things get out of control? Indian officials indicated that shipments through the Hormuz have slowed in April amid heightened tensions. India is also in touch with Iran to secure safe passage for its ships through the Hormuz Strait.
As part of India's search for its possible role in West Asia peace efforts, India is reported to have called a three-day meeting in New Delhi with the heads of its diplomatic mission. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join the deliberations on 30 April. One very important pitfall India must guard against while dealing with the Gulf politics is several faultlines and competing alignments within it.
