India finds itself in an uncomfortable diplomatic position after a US submarine torpedoed an Iranian naval vessel in waters near the Indian Ocean, just hours after New Delhi allowed the damaged ship's sister vessel to dock at Kochi for humanitarian reasons.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar defended India's decision to permit the Iranian ship IRIS Lavan to seek shelter at an Indian port, insisting the choice was "humanitarian, not political." The statement comes as India faces criticism for appearing to provide sanctuary to Iranian military assets amid escalating US-Iran tensions in the Middle East.
The timing could hardly be worse for India's carefully calibrated balancing act. The country maintains strategic partnerships with both Washington and Tehran, importing Russian oil with American waivers while maintaining defense ties with Iran's adversaries. Now its own backyard—the Indian Ocean region that New Delhi considers its sphere of influence—has become a proxy battlefield.
"The decision was taken on humanitarian grounds," Jaishankar told reporters, according to the Indian Express. "We would extend similar assistance to any vessel in distress, regardless of flag." The foreign minister's carefully worded response reflects India's predicament: how to maintain its stated policy of strategic autonomy while major powers clash in waters India has long sought to dominate.
The incident highlights the limits of India's "multi-alignment" foreign policy. has spent years positioning itself as a power that makes independent decisions based on national interest rather than bloc politics. It buys oil from despite Western sanctions, maintains ties with for energy security and regional influence, and deepens defense cooperation with the through the Quad partnership.
