The West Asia Crisis and its Impact on India

By : Chietigj Bajpaee

Page No: 323-340

Abstract
The US-Israel attack on Iran in February 2026 has had profound implications for the security of West Asia and the broader global order. Beyond the immediate impact on global trade, foreign remittances and air travel, it has compromised international norms and raised questions on the future of the rules-based international order. For India and South Asia, much of the focus has been on the economic impact given the heavy dependence of countries in the region on commodity imports that transit the Strait of Hormuz. However, less recognised or acknowledged are the broader strategic implications of the conflict for India and its regional security over the longer term. From creating a feedback loop between the India Pakistan rivalry and regional rivalries in West Asia to testing India’s longstanding commitment to strategic autonomy amid India’s deepening engagement with Israel at the cost of its longstanding relationship with Iran, and India’s broader ambitions to be a voice of the Global South, the Iran conflict provides a microcosm of the opportunities and challenges facing Indian foreign policy.

Author
Chietigj Bajpaee is a Senior Fellow for South Asia, Asia-Pacific Programme, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2025.20.4.3