Unfazed by US, India to step up ties with Tehran

[rama]

Unfazed by US sanctions and Israel linking Tehran to the attack on an Israeli embassy car here, India is set to ramp up its energy and business ties with Iran, with a commerce ministry team heading to Tehran to explore fresh business opportunities.

The team is expected to go to Tehran later this month to discuss steps to expand India's trade with Iran, part of a larger strategy to pay for Iranian oil, said highly-placed sources.

Despite the US and European Union sanctions on Iran, India recently sealed a payment mechanism under which Indian companies will pay for 45 per cent of their crude oil imports from Iran in rupees.

Not just oil, India is also stepping up the refurbishing of the Chabahar Port in Iran and a strategic railway link that will offer it direct access to Afghanistan and the energy-rich Central Asia.

In recent years, India has taken care to insulate its multi-faceted ties with Iran from the West's collision with Tehran over its nuclear programme. The West accuses Iran of developing nuclear bombs.

India is uneasy at Israeli accusations about Iran's hand in the Monday bombing that targeted an Israeli embassy car, badly injuring the wife of the Israeli defence attache.

India, the sources said, does not want to be drawn into a diplomatic war of words between Tehran and Tel Aviv. Iran has rubbished Israeli charges as 'empty lies'.

But with Israel launching a diplomatic offensive and the American Jewish Congress (AJC) asking India to scale down its engagement with Iran, New Delhi could come under renewed pressure from the West to cut off ties with what the Americans say is a rogue regime.

India has launched a probe into the terror attack. 'The probe is on,' is all Indian officials would say.

K.C. Singh, a former Indian ambassador to Iran, told: "Anything is possible. We have to wait and watch."

Ajai Sahni, a terrorism expert, said it was very unlikely that the attack would ever be traced to the Iranian state.

But he agreed that India could be under extra pressure as Israel may leverage the incident to portray Iran as a rogue regime.

The American Jewish Congress has told Indian ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao that it was 'deeply troubled' by India's efforts to intensify trade relations with Iran at the very moment when the US and fellow democracies are applying new economic pressures on Tehran.

India continues to buy Iranian oil and expand economic relations with Iran.

Iran used to supply 12 per cent of India's oil imports, but for some time its share has dropped to 10 per cent.

Last week, as the European Union asked India to broker talks with Tehran over its atomic programme, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pitched for a resolution of the issue by giving 'maximum scope' to diplomacy..
Unfazed by US, India to step up ties with Tehran | Deccan Chronicle

 

[Bl[i]tZ]

Innocent until proven guilty, that's what the law says!

 

[rama]

it is just like showing the middle finger to US and European Union

 

[joekrish]

If it was Israel in the place of Iran, I know personally a lot of countries who would have cried India was anti muslim country, we have supported Iran more than any other muslim country. What do they have to say about this?

 

[acetophenol]

India is nobody's ally,but everybody's friend!
Thats cool!

 

[Alchemy]

This is a wonderful move , yet again proves the credibility of independent farsighted foreign policy by India. Most others countries would have buckled down by Uncle Sams pressure tactics ...

Its Indian energy concerns first and everything else next !

 

[CarbonD]

I dont know why India is chasing Iran. Something is fishy here and it is not oil. Saudis were offering better deal but India opted for Iran instead. Something is happening behind closed doors I can smell it hmmmm

 

[illusion8]

I dont know why India is chasing Iran. Something is fishy here and it is not oil. Saudis were offering better deal but India opted for Iran instead. Something is happening behind closed doors I can smell it hmmmm

Does Afg and central asia ring any bells? but seriously India does consider Iran as a dear friend.

 

[Alchemy]

I dont know why India is chasing Iran. Something is fishy here and it is not oil. Saudis were offering better deal but India opted for Iran instead. Something is happening behind closed doors I can smell it hmmmm

Is it just you spidey sense tingling or do you have any relevant sources to back your claim

By the way there is too much competition for Saudi oil compared to Irans , also India had a long time vision of pipeline via land or sea too which didnt materialized but this would not have been in case of Saudi oil .Also another reason might be Saudi royals are controlled by US which could turn out bad in rough times

 

[alphamale]

U.S & E.U can't dictate terms to india. they have their own issues & we have our's. we should not sour our relations with others just because western powers don't like them.

 

[RoYaL~GuJJaR]

I dont know why India is chasing Iran. Something is fishy here and it is not oil. Saudis were offering better deal but India opted for Iran instead. Something is happening behind closed doors I can smell it hmmmm

Nothing fishy!

Both Israel and Iran are important to India we can't snap ties with any of them because of one of them. India have its own Interest with both Israel and Iran, and we are making it clear that we will follow our own independent foreign policy rather then dictated one. And yeah how can you say its not about OIL ?? It is about our energy needs, India can't depend solely on one country for its energy needs and that too a country which historically close ally of Pakistan (I mean Saudi's)

 

[Raje amar]

This is a wonderful move , yet again proves the credibility of independent farsighted foreign policy by India. Most others countries would have buckled down by Uncle Sams pressure tactics ...

Its Indian energy concerns first and everything else next !

thats right. Why should we think of some other countries interests. We are nobodys lapdog,

indias interests should come first always.

 

[Raje amar]

I dont know why India is chasing Iran. Something is fishy here and it is not oil. Saudis were offering better deal but India opted for Iran instead. Something is happening behind closed doors I can smell it hmmmm

we are not those who leaves their friends when they need you the most, by the way China is already diverting their Oil imports to other country.

AND WHAT WORST COULD HAPPEN WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE TWO HOSTILE NUCLEar states bordering us.
As a mater of fact uncle SAM indirectly helpd one of it by denying the facts when it was in their strategic interest.
So nuclear or nonnuclear Iran it least hearts India. But for our current energy needs, the sanctions will definately heart Indian economy,

Iran has provided us option of paying in Indian rupee which will stop the draining of Indian forgian currency reserves,
there are too many negatives if India supports these sanctions.

 

[T90TankGuy]

it was but expected. even if concrete evidence if provided towards Iran being the culprit. , we will give them room to wriggle out from this predicament . it oil will still flow . i am glad to see an independent foreign policy

 

[Kinetic]

The American Jewish Congress has told Indian ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao that it was 'deeply troubled' by India's efforts to intensify trade relations with Iran at the very moment when the US and fellow democracies are applying new economic pressures on Tehran.

India continues to buy Iranian oil and expand economic relations with Iran.

Someone tell these people that India is India. Their thoughts have no place in our policy. They sometimes forget about their dealings with monarchies like in SA, Kuwait, UAE and all the dictators of Pakistan those got large amount of military aid which were used against India.


If they want friendship, they not only have to worry about their problems but ours as well. Iran has large gas and oil deposit. They are our way into CAR.