Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.

The highlights this week: The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict tests India’s strategic autonomy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets his Canadian counterpart on the sidelines of the G-7 leaders’ summit, and Pakistan’s Army chief visits the White House.

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.

The highlights this week: The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict tests India’s strategic autonomy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets his Canadian counterpart on the sidelines of the G-7 leaders’ summit, and Pakistan’s Army chief visits the White House.

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Last week, India declined to sign on to a statement endorsed by fellow members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) condemning Israel’s initial strikes against Iran. New Delhi’s decision underscores the diplomatic difficulties that it will face in navigating a dangerous new conflict in the Middle East.

India is used to balancing ties with rival states during a crisis. For decades, in step with its policy of strategic autonomy, it has sought to maintain friendly relations with Iran and Saudi Arabia, Israelis and Palestinians, and the United States and Russia.

On this front, India has faced big tests in recent years, from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine to Israel’s war in Gaza. But it has largely passed them with flying colors: New Delhi’s relations with these entities remain warm, even if some are warmer than others.

But the latest test—the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran—will be one of the hardest yet for India. Israel has become one of India’s closest partners, starting with the weapons trade: India is Israel’s biggest arms buyer, and Israel is India’s fourth-largest supplier. This trade saw a whopping 33-fold increase in the last decade.

Commercial cooperation between India and Israel has expanded dramatically, too, covering critical Indian needs. India imports semiconductor chips from Israel and cooperates bilaterally on water-saving agricultural technologies. Indian corporate titan Gautam Adani’s Adani Group operates Israel’s Haifa Port.

The politics and governing styles of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu often align. Indian officials quietly admire and draw inspiration from the Israeli government’s unabashed commitment to using muscular tactics to target adversaries and pursue its security interests. And they appreciate that Israel was one of the few states to fully support India during its recent conflict with Pakistan.

That said, India has major interests in Iran and further afield........

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