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The war between the US-Israel axis and Iran has laid bare a fundamental question: What is India’s stand? As the conflict escalates and the Strait of Hormuz closes, the absence of a clear, principled position has become a critical vulnerability. The government’s response has been characterised by wordplay and ambiguity, leaving citizens and allies alike in the dark.

Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty.

This crisis follows a series of high-profile diplomatic engagements that now seem contradictory. Prime Minister Modi’s February 2026 state visit to Israel was marked by the elevation of the relationship to a “Special Strategic Partnership”. However, just weeks earlier, India had signed the “Delhi Declaration” with Arab nations, explicitly supporting a “sovereign, independent, and viable State of Palestine” and positioning itself as a “bridge” between conflicting interests.

This duality raises a troubling question: How does one reconcile a “Special Strategic Partnership” with a nation at war, while simultaneously pledging support to its adversaries’ cause? The result is a foreign policy that appears transactional.

The economic sovereignty question

The most immediate consequence of this strategic drift is the energy crisis triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. For years, India profited from discounted Russian oil, saving an estimated Rs 12 billion. This was a pragmatic move that shored up the economy against global price volatility, although the decline in international fuel prices did not benefit the Indian customers.

However, a February 2026 tariff deal with the US included a key condition: India would scale back its purchases from Russia and begin buying unrefined, shale-sourced oil from the United States. This meant abandoning a discounted, proximate source for a more expensive, distant one, adding significant freight charges and refinery costs – effectively trading a measure of economic sovereignty for a tariff........

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