Embargo-free Iran is new India opportunity

Last Saturday, the US lifted sanctions against Iran for its controversial nuclear activities after the International Atomic Energy Agency certified that Tehran had complied with the hard-negotiated agreement of July last year aimed at degrading its capacity to acquire a nuclear weapon.

This opens up possibilities of new opportunities for normalisation of relations between the West and a major West Asia power after a lapse of three decades, although differences remain in their ideological outlook and their respective approaches to leading questions such as the crisis in Syria and the Israel-Palestinian issue. It also means all countries may now engage in normal trade and financial relations with Iran, and this includes India.

In our era, the lifting of sanctions that began over the weekend is a signal international development. No other country possessing nuclear weapons or on its way to do so has abandoned its weapons strategy, after nerve-wracking negotiations, in order to shake off crippling sanctions and emerge from global isolation.

Under the successful negotiations, Tehran will be unable to contemplate a weapons programme for the next 10 to 15 years. The European Union has also lifted its sanctions and the UN will formally most certainly do the same, following the announcement of the IAEA, which is a part of the UN system, and America’s lead.

India is almost an immediate neighbour of Iran, and New Delhi and Tehran, which share cultural affinities and ancient memories, have looked to build strong and durable ties over many years. In the more recent period, their collaboration has extended to India building Iran’s Chabahar port, which gives the relationship an incipient strategic feel. In the regional context, this straightaway influences the Afghan theatre.

The building of India-Iran relations was severely cramped on account of the US-led sanctions that had cut Iran off from international financial and trading activity. Iran will now doubtless be looking to fearlessly foraying into developing ties of economy and business with the major powers. The EU and China will be investing much in exploring possibilities. The Iranians will also be travelling. It is surprising that India has not so far made its own announcements for a re-invigorated partnership with Iran in anticipation of Implementation Day.