Iran-US, Israel War And Erosion Of India’s Strategic Autonomy – OpEd
Two days before the Israel-US war on Iran, Prime Minister Modi visited Israel. Following the visit, India’s calculated response to Israel and US war on Iran, clearly demonstrated the deepening strategic convergence between New Delhi and Tel Aviv. The increasingly explicit geo political and military alignment of India and Israel, restrained India from condemning the killing of Ayatollah Khomeini in a ‘targeted assassination’ carried out through joint US and Israel strikes on Iran. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi described India’s silence on death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, ‘not neutral but an abdication’ raising serious questions on ‘direction and credibility’ of India’s foreign policy, which earlier claimed ‘strategic autonomy’.
The sinking of Iranian warship IRIS Dena, in the Indian ocean further raised questions about India’s credibility as an ‘autonomous’ player in global politics. The Iranian warship had participated in the Indian hosted MILAN naval exercise and was returning home when torpedoed by a U.S. submarine near Sri-Lanka, killing at least 87 sailors.
India is maintaining a strategic silence on the illegal measures taken by the US and Israel in Iran and India’s maritime neighbourhood. Despite India’s inaction on the sinking of Iranian vessel, Iran allowed some Indian ships to pass through otherwise blocked Strait of Hormuz. Later, in a telephonic conversation of Iranian President Masoud Pazeskian and Prime Minister Modi on March 12th, Iran urged India, in its capacity as BRICS chair, to condemn the ongoing war on Iran. New Delhi responded cautiously, emphasizing restraint, de-escalation and dialogue, and refrained from issuing any official statement from BRICS platform. The failure to do so exposed India’s lack of influence on the member states.
The timing of Modi’s visit to Israel is significant as it comes after India and Pakistan confrontation in May 2025. Pakistan’s visible performance on the battlefield prompted India to recalibrate its strategic calculus. Technological capability and effective intelligence sharing proved decisive during the conflict and China’s intelligence assistance reportedly provided Pakistan with a significant advantage over Indian forces. Consequently, New Delhi now looks for a more credible defense partner, capable of supplying advanced warfare technologies, and Israel has emerged as a preferred partner in this regard.
India has historically maintained significant relations with Israel. For many years these ties remained largely implicit and low-profile. India, recognized Israel in 1950s. In January 1963, after Indo China war, the Israeli Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Military Intelligence visited India. Israel aided India with laser guided bomb kits and missiles during its conflict with Pakistan over Kargil in 1999. In last year’s India Pakistan confrontation, India deployed Israeli made drones for incursions in Pakistan. Over the past decade, India has imported military hardware equipment worth approximately 2.9 billion dollars from Israel. The deepening Indo Israel defense ties exhibit India’s positioning in the region.
For decades, India was reluctant to openly’ embrace Israel. Partly because, it didn’t wish to compromise its relations with the Gulf countries. In recent years, however, many Gulf countries have adopted a more ‘pragmatic’ foreign policy prioritizing economic engagement while avoiding entanglement in idealistic principles. The Abraham accords reflected this pragmatic shift. This changed regional environment emboldened India to develop a ‘firm’ relationship with Israel. After the second visit of Narendra Modi to Israel and his ‘first’ address to the ‘Knesset’, bilateral relations have reached unprecedented level of visibility and strategic significance.
On February 25th, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife Sarah Netanyahu welcomed Modi in Israel. Observers noted symbolic gestures during the visit, including Sarah’s saffron-colored attire and Modi’s matching pocket square, which some interpreted as a subtle acknowledgment of ideological affinities between the two leaderships. Beyond these symbolic elements, the visit produced substantive outcomes. India and Israel signed several memorandums of understanding and letter of intents reaffirming their commitment to ‘integrate India's and Israel's advancements in AI, cybersecurity, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, agriculture and water management, defense platforms, and space exploration.’ Both leaders emphasized that this partnership strengthens India’s vision of an ‘Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat 2047’, while also promoting shared ‘technological transformation’.
Reports that Anthropic AI’s model of Claude was used in the U.S. Israeli operation against Iran which resulted in the decapitation of Ayatollah Khomeini, further highlight the strategic significance of technological collaboration in ‘lawless’ contemporary warfare. In an increasingly ‘dis ordered’ international system, targeted assassination or ‘capturing’ of unwanted state leaders, like that of Venezuela’s president, has become a norm. Powerful states use these blatant, rogue strategies against weaker but defiant actors.
India is home to 17 million Muslims, representing one of the largest Muslim populations in the world. There had been protests in Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Union territory of New Delhi. India’s disregard for the sentiments of segments of its Muslim population suggests a notable shift in its foreign policy posture, which historically sought, at least rhetorically to uphold certain moral principles.
Pakistan on the contrary, has offered to mediate between Iran and the US. While responding to Pakistan’s mediation offer, the outburst of Indian Foreign Minister Subramanian Jaishanker calling Pakistan a ‘Dalaal’ (broker, with a negative connotation) reflects frustration on part of New Delhi. India despite choosing Israel and the US over principles appear alone on the international stage. Its tilt towards the US and Israel over other countries is like a subtle acceptance of ‘lawless’ world order. This acceptance followed by erosion of India’s strategic autonomy, is not a good omen for India itself.