Strategic Autonomy, Energy Security, and India’s West Asia Policy: Diplomatic Balancing amid the Iran–Israel–US Conflict

Abstract

The intensifying geopolitical tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States have significantly reshaped the strategic landscape of West Asia, creating complex political, economic, and security challenges for emerging powers such as India. “India depends on West Asia for over 50 percent of its crude oil imports and maintains deep trade and diaspora linkages with the region, making regional stability central to its strategic interests” (Anas 2021, 63; Ahmad 2014, 28). The ongoing crisis has heightened concerns relating to energy security, maritime trade disruptions, and economic vulnerability, compelling India to recalibrate its diplomatic engagement in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment. This paper examines India’s evolving West Asia policy through the frameworks of strategic autonomy, energy security, connectivity politics, and multipolar diplomacy in the context of the Iran-Israel-US conflict. Particular attention is given to the IMEC–INSTC connectivity competition, Red Sea maritime disruptions, and the growing significance of BRICS+ in regional diplomacy. The study adopts a qualitative policy-analysis approach based on official statements, policy documents, geopolitical assessments, and contemporary secondary literature. The paper argues that India is gradually moving beyond conventional non-alignment towards a pragmatic model of multi-aligned diplomacy characterised by strategic flexibility and calibrated engagement with competing powers. The findings suggest that India’s contemporary West Asia policy increasingly reflects broader ambitions relating to maritime security, geo-economic connectivity, and strategic influence within an evolving multipolar order.