What Happened
- India faces a complex diplomatic situation as the US-Israel conflict with Iran escalated in late February-early March 2026
- Prime Minister Modi had visited Israel just days before the strikes (February 25-26, 2026), during which India and Israel elevated their relationship to a "Special Strategic Partnership"
- Following the strikes, PM Modi held phone calls with key Gulf leaders, condemning violations of territorial integrity and stressing the need for dialogue and diplomacy
- India's official position has been that it supports ceasefire, dialogue, and adherence to international law — without endorsing or criticising either the US-Israeli strikes or Iranian actions by name
- More than 10 million Indians reside in Gulf countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain), whose safety is a primary concern
- 37 Indian-flagged ships with approximately 1,109 Indian seafarers were reported stranded in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman as the conflict escalated
- India imports approximately 85% of its crude oil, with a significant portion from Gulf producers — making energy security a core consideration in India's diplomatic calculus
Static Topic Bridges
India's Strategic Autonomy Doctrine in Foreign Policy
India's foreign policy tradition, rooted in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) founded in 1961 by Nehru, Tito, and Nasser, holds that India should not automatically align with any power bloc. In the post-Cold War era, India rebranded this principle as "Strategic Autonomy" — the doctrine that India will pursue its national interest independently, maintain bilateral relationships across adversarial blocs, and avoid binding military alliances.
In the West Asia context, strategic autonomy means India maintains simultaneous partnerships with: Israel (defence, technology, intelligence), the US (Quad, defence procurement, diaspora), Gulf Arab states (energy supply, diaspora remittances, trade), and Iran (Chabahar port access, energy connectivity, historical civilisational ties). A conflict between these blocs forces India to issue carefully worded statements that avoid antagonising any party while protecting its concrete interests.
- India abstained on the 1950 UN Security Council resolution authorising force in Korea — an early articulation of non-alignment
- India has voted inconsistently at the UN on Israel-Palestine issues, usually supporting Palestinian self-determination in General Assembly resolutions
- India-Israel "Special Strategic Partnership" (elevated in February 2026) includes defence technology transfer, cybersecurity, agriculture, and water technology
- India-Iran relationship includes Chabahar Port (India's gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia), historical people-to-people ties, and some crude oil imports (constrained by US sanctions)
Connection to this news: India's diplomatic messaging — emphasising dialogue, territorial integrity, and the safety of civilians — is a calibrated application of strategic autonomy designed to preserve all bilateral relationships while the conflict's outcome remains uncertain.
India-Israel Relations: Defence, Technology, and the New "Special Strategic Partnership"
India and Israel normalised diplomatic relations in 1992. Since then, bilateral relations have grown substantially, particularly in defence. Israel is India's third-largest defence supplier (after Russia and the US), providing systems like the Barak missile, Phalcon AWACS (airborne warning systems), Heron drones, Spike anti-tank missiles, and a wide range of electronic warfare systems.
PM Modi's 2017 visit to Israel was the first-ever by an Indian prime minister — a signal of the relationship's growing strategic depth. By 2026, India and Israel had elevated to a "Special Strategic Partnership" covering defence, cybersecurity, water technology, and agriculture — Israel's drip irrigation technology being widely adopted in India.
- Israel is India's third-largest defence supplier; annual bilateral defence trade: ~$2-2.5 billion
- Key Israeli systems in Indian inventory: Barak-8 air defence (co-developed with IAI), Phalcon AWACS, Heron/Heron-TP UAVs, Spike ATGM
- India abstained on 2023 UN General Assembly resolution on Gaza ceasefire — reflecting the political balancing act
- India-Israel bilateral trade: ~$7-8 billion annually (excluding defence)
Connection to this news: India's decision to elevate ties to "Special Strategic Partnership" just before the strikes on Iran created a perception management challenge — Gulf states and Iran read the timing as Indian endorsement, requiring Modi's subsequent calls to Gulf leaders to correct course.
India's Gulf Diaspora: Human Security and Economic Stakes
The Indian diaspora in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain — constitutes over 9-10 million people, the largest concentration of the Indian diaspora anywhere in the world. This community is economically vital to both India and the host countries: they contribute skilled and semi-skilled labour across construction, hospitality, healthcare, and services, while sending remittances that form a major share of India's total annual inward remittances of approximately $125 billion (India is the world's largest remittance recipient).
In crisis situations, India has successfully conducted large-scale evacuations of its nationals from Gulf conflict zones. Operation Raahat (2015, Yemen) evacuated nearly 5,000 Indians and 1,800 foreign nationals. Operation Kaveri (2023, Sudan) evacuated approximately 3,800 Indians. These operations demonstrate both the strategic importance of the diaspora and India's growing logistical capability to protect it.
- Indian diaspora in GCC: ~9-10 million people
- India's annual remittances: ~$125 billion (2023-24); GCC countries contribute the largest share
- UAE: ~3.5 million Indians (largest Indian diaspora in any single country)
- Operation Raahat (Yemen, 2015): ~5,000 Indians evacuated by Navy and Air Force
- 37 Indian-flagged ships with 1,109 seafarers stranded in Persian Gulf/Gulf of Oman (March 2026)
Connection to this news: With over 10 million Indians in the region and 37 ships stranded, the human security dimension compels India to stay engaged diplomatically with all parties — Gulf Arab states, Iran, Israel, and the US — simultaneously.
Key Facts & Data
- Indian diaspora in GCC: 9-10 million people; UAE alone hosts ~3.5 million
- India's annual remittances from Gulf: largest share of total ~$125 billion inward remittances
- India-Israel "Special Strategic Partnership" elevated: February 25-26, 2026 (PM Modi's state visit)
- Israel is India's third-largest defence supplier (~$2-2.5 billion annual bilateral defence trade)
- India imports ~85% of crude oil; Gulf producers (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE) are top suppliers
- 37 Indian-flagged ships with 1,109 Indian seafarers stranded in Persian Gulf/Gulf of Oman (March 2026)
- India-Iran Chabahar Port: India's strategic gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia; exempted from US sanctions
- Operation Raahat (2015): ~5,000 Indians + 1,800 foreign nationals evacuated from Yemen
- India's stated position: Support ceasefire, dialogue, and international humanitarian law; no explicit endorsement of either side