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Quiet Diplomacy in a Time of Crisis: A Regional Stabilizing Effort
June 25, 2025
Dr Sara Fatima
In a region where alliances shift like desert winds, India’s recent disengagement from Iran amid the Iran Israel standoff has sparked international scrutiny and regional concern. Once projected as Tehran’s strategic partner, New Delhi’s muted response during one of Iran’s most testing geopolitical moments has raised eyebrows; not just in West Asia but also in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan, which has long viewed India’s foreign policy maneuvers with wary interest.
Silence during critical moments is not neutrality, it can signal abandonment.
India has long boasted about its ties with Iran, citing historic, cultural, and economic affinities. The two countries collaborated on the development of the Chabahar Port; often showcased by Indian policymakers as a gateway to Central Asia and a counterbalance to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port, developed in partnership with China. Yet when geopolitical tensions flared between Iran and Israel, India opted for silence, signaling a sharp deviation from the expected solidarity between supposed strategic allies.
This silence wasn’t merely a diplomatic tightrope act; it bordered on abandonment. Rather than defending Iran’s sovereignty or even issuing a statement of concern, India appeared more inclined to preserve its growing relations with Israel and the broader Western bloc. As the flames of regional instability grew, India remained conspicuously absent, diplomatically and morally. Multiple reports now suggest covert Indian support for Israeli operations, with alleged cooperation between India’s intelligence agency RAW and Israel’s Mossad. According to Iranian sources, over 70 Indian nationals are under investigation in Iran for allegedly sharing sensitive information that could have aided Israeli targeting operations.
Though New Delhi has not publicly addressed these claims, the seriousness of the allegations underlines a troubling shift. India, once vocal about strategic autonomy and multipolarity, now seems increasingly comfortable aligning itself with Western-Israeli interests, potentially at the cost of regional trust. For Pakistan, which has always highlighted India’s opportunistic foreign policy, recent developments are not surprising. Islamabad has consistently cautioned regional states about India’s tendency to form transactional alliances based not on mutual respect, but on short-term strategic calculations aimed at isolating Pakistan.
Iran now finds itself reassessing a relationship it once considered pivotal. Despite years of economic and infrastructural cooperation, India’s apparent duplicity has created a diplomatic vacuum, one that could be filled by more reliable partners. For instance, Pakistan has maintained a more balanced and principled position on the Iran-Israel conflict. While Islamabad has historically had its complex dynamics with Tehran, it has refrained from opportunistic maneuvering and instead emphasized regional peace, sovereignty, and non-interference. As tensions escalate, Iran may find greater diplomatic comfort in Islamabad’s consistency than New Delhi’s ambiguity.
Tactical diplomacy may yield short-term gains but costs long-term trust.
The G7 summit’s complete omission of India’s perspective on the Iran-Israel issue also speaks volumes. While India claims rising global influence, its absence from crucial global conversations on West Asia suggests otherwise. As the world moves toward multipolar diplomacy, credibility and consistency matter; traits India appears to be sacrificing.
Pakistan, in contrast, has the opportunity to play a constructive role in stabilizing the region. It maintains diplomatic relations with both Iran and Saudi Arabia, and its historical ties with China and Turkey position it as a potential bridge-builder in West Asia. Rather than exploiting the situation, Pakistan could extend diplomatic overtures to Iran, reinforcing regional solidarity and offering alternatives to Tehran’s growing isolation.
Strengthening Pakistan-Iran cooperation on trade, energy, and border security could be the beginning of a more balanced regional order—one less vulnerable to covert manipulations and more rooted in sovereign respect.
India’s actions during the Iran-Israel crisis expose a deeper issue: a foreign policy driven not by principle or partnership, but by tactical gain. For countries like Iran that value strategic consistency, New Delhi’s silence and suspected covert dealings serve as a stark reminder that alliances must be based on mutual respect, not convenience.
Principled consistency in foreign policy builds durable regional partnerships.
As regional dynamics shift and trust becomes a currency more valuable than ever, countries like Pakistan, long sidelined in Western narratives, may now have the chance to offer principled alternatives. The path forward for West Asia lies not in double games but in durable diplomacy, balanced partnerships, and a commitment to collective regional stability.
The author holds a PhD in Strategic Studies.
