India-Iran Tensions Rise After Tanker Attack in Indian Ocean

Aroma Noor

Amidst the global tensions between states regarding the Gaza-Israel conflict, it is becoming difficult to maintain peace elsewhere. Just this week, a chemical tanker with 20 Indian crew members on board was hit by a drone in the Indian Ocean. ‘Chem Pluto’ is a Japanese-owned tanker traveling 200 nautical miles (370km) off the coast of India, reports the U.S. Pentagon. There were no casualties due to the attack, and a brief fire on board the tanker was extinguished. The tanker was “Israel-affiliated” and had been on its way from Saudi Arabia to India, reported maritime security firm Ambrey. Washington directly pins Iran responsible for this act, whereas New Dehli claims it to be Yemen’s Houthi rebels backed by Iran. In response to this, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri refuted all allegations of involvement and said, “The resistance [Houthis] has its own tools … and acts in accordance with its own decisions and capabilities.” There had already been missile attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen, because of which fingers are naturally being pointed towards them.

This incident adds to rising concerns over maritime security, echoing recent regional events, especially between Iran, India, and the United States. Investigations persist as global shipping routes face disruptions, emphasizing the critical need for enhanced international cooperation to safeguard maritime trade. The United States and India have been joined by more than 20 countries, including the U.K., in setting up a multinational naval task force to protect Red Sea shipping.

India was put in a difficult situation when the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and reinstated sanctions against Tehran. As a result, India stopped importing oil from Iran, and bilateral trade decreased from over $16 billion in 2018–19 to less than $2 billion in 2021–2022. Furthermore, the U.S. sanctions have virtually crippled important Indian development projects in Iran, such as the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chabahar port. Meanwhile, there has been an improvement in India’s relations with the Gulf Arab countries. This strengthens the Abraham Accords, which the U.S. supports, and normalizes ties between Israel and some Arab countries. As a result, Iran is left out of the developing regional architecture on platforms like I2U2 (India, Israel, the U.S., and the UAE).

Concerning India’s ties with Iran, the Israel-Hamas conflict has complicated India’s involvement in West Asia even more. Tehran is a crucial factor in the West Asian conflict because of its ties to Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Whether the conflict intensifies into a more widespread regional conflict will depend on Tehran’s card-playing. This recent attack on the chemical tanker allegedly carried out by Iran, and many others by Yemen in the Red Sea may be considered a dealbreaker. Naturally, this will be detrimental to nations like India, which were only beginning to adjust to the disruptions in energy supplies brought on by the conflict in Ukraine. However, New Delhi-Tehran relations have faced other headwinds in recent years, and the recent drone attack on the tanker will only fuel the fire.

The writer is a student of International Relations at NDU Islamabad.