US-Israel-Iran War: Understanding New Delhi-Tehran Ties Since The 1950S A Timeline

(MENAFN- Live Mint) As the conflict in the Middle East escalates after US-Israel strikes on Iran, the opposition in India has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his ‘silence’ over the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israel strikes.

On Monday, speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in New Delhi, PM Modi expressed concern over the escalating conflicts globally, stating that the current situation in West Asia remains a serious worry. PM Modi said India has always supported peace and stability and believes that disputes must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

But PM Modi or any of his cabinet colleagues have not issued a statement on Khamenei’s death until this report was filed.

Congress party alleged that the silence of the Union government on the ‘targeted assassination’ of Khameini and other Iranian leaders demonstrated its abdication of moral leadership and its reluctance to say anything remotely critical of the US and Israel.

“It is a complete betrayal of all that India has stood for. India has never before looked this weak,” Congress leader Pawan Khera said in a post.

Modi speaks with Netanyahu

Last night, Prime Minister Modi spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the US-Israel strikes and called for an early cessation of hostilities and conveyed India’s concerns over recent developments. PM Modi also spoke with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and strongly criticised the Iranian attacks.

But there has not been any official statement from India on Khamenei’s death.

Clearly, amid the conflict in Iran, the Modi government seems to have shifted its focus from 'civilizational ties and trade (like the Chabahar Port) to urgent calls for de-escalation, dialogue, and civilian safety.

But why this shift? Aam Aadmi Part leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh recalled how PM Modi had declared one day of national mourning after the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed along with seven in a helicopter crash in Azerbaijan in May 2024.

“Modi ji, what happened today? You had declared a national mourning for the death of Iran’s President. You’re not even mustering the courage to tweet a single condolence for the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei, because America is responsible for it,” Singh said in a post.

India, experts said, is seemingly maintaining a ‘strategic autonomy’ approach-balancing its historical friendship with Iran against its deepening security partnerships with Israel and the UAE. PM Modi was in Israel last month, where he received a warm welcome from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and other members of the parliament.

And it is not a first shift in the ties. Over the years, the relationship between India and Iran has been a geopolitical rollercoaster, shifting from Cold War friction to strategic partnerships, and now to a complex balancing act under the Modi government.

To understand India-Iran ties, let’s take a look at the historical ties that the two countries have had since the 1950s:

** 1. The Shah Era (1950s–1979)**

During the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the ties between the two nations were defined by opposing global alignments. India was a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) with Soviet leanings, while the Shah’s Iran was a staunch US ally and a member of the pro-Western Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) alliance.

Iran was a close military ally of Pakistan. During the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars, Iran provided Pakistan with logistical and material support, which strained Tehran’s ties with New Delhi.

Relations between India and Iran, however, saw a reset in the mid-1970s, with then-prime minister Indira Gandhi visiting Tehran in 1974 and the Shah visiting Delhi four years later. The two countries began cooperating on energy, specifically the Madras Refinery project.

2- The Islamic Revolution (1980s–1990s)

The 1979 Revolution initially created uncertainty, but eventually opened a door for India

The new theocratic regime’s "Neither East nor West " policy and its break with the US actually brought it closer to India’s non-aligned stance. Ties were tested by the Iran-Iraq War (where India remained neutral but had close ties to Iraq) and Iran’s early vocal support for the Kashmiri militancy.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, however, India and Iran found common ground in Afghanistan, where they jointly supported the Northern Alliance against the Pakistan-backed Taliban.

3. The Vajpayee Years (1998–2004)

This period under BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee as PM of India is often called the “Golden Age” of India-Iran relations:

PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to Iran marked a shift toward a “strategic partnership”, and the Tehran Declaration was signed in 2001. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami was the Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day 2003, and the New Delhi Declaration was signed, which paved the way for Chabahar Port and energy cooperation under Prime Minister Vajpayee

There was a brief period when India and Iran even conducted joint naval exercises and discussed training Iranian military personnel.

4. The UPA Era (2004–2014)

Under Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister, the India-Iran relationship faced complications. To secure the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal, India famously voted against Iran at the IAEA regarding its nuclear program in 2005. This was seen in Tehran as a "betrayal."US sanctions made it difficult for India to pay for Iranian oil. India had to resort to a complex “rupee-rial” payment mechanism through UCO Bank to keep trade alive.

The ambitious Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline was effectively shelved during this time due to security and pricing concerns.

5. The Modi Years (2014 till today)

PM Modi has pursued a policy of “Strategic Autonomy,” attempting to decouple the Iran relationship from the US and Israel:

PM Modi’s 2016 visit to Tehran was a milestone, during which he signed a trilateral agreement with Iran and Afghanistan to develop Chabahar, bypassing Pakistan. India, however, stopped importing Iranian oil in 2019, causing a significant dip in economic engagement.

In 2024, PM Modi congratulated Iran’s newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, on his electoral win. On the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, PM Modi met the newly elected Iranian President. He highlighted the Chabahar Port as a pillar of bilateral ties and a gateway for landlocked Central Asian countries.

It is a complete betrayal of all that India has stood for. India has never before looked this weak.

In February 2026, Modi sent a congratulatory message for the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, noting that India-Iran relations are rooted in "deep civilizational, historical, and linguistic ties

But in the wake of the recent 2026 escalations in the Middle East after US-Israel strikes, the focus has been more on regional stability. advocating for an end to hostilities.

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