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  • Sonia Gandhi says the ground has shifted under the Modi government. Addressing the political debate surrounding her memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love, the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson said the government was insecure and that the present regime was not destined to remain in power. The BJP hit back, accusing her of presenting a selective account of the Congress's political history
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  • Gunjan assures India another medal at the Youth Olympics. The Indian boxer defeated Mexico's Atena Sofia Juarez Calero 5-0 to reach the women's 48kg semi-final at the Dakar Youth Olympics
Terrorists attack CRPF checkpoint in Kulgam in J&K, three personnel injured /////// Anna Hazare rejected Sonia Gandhi's account of the anti-corruption movement. denying that his 2011-12 India Against Corruption movement had any covert backing from the BJP or RSS
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PM Modi As Mediator In West Asia

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2026-03-10 14:29:21

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

The suggestion that a single phone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi could help stop the escalating confrontation between Israel and Iran may sound dramatic. Yet the remark by the UAE's envoy to India reflects a larger geopolitical reality: few countries today enjoy the level of trust with both sides that India does. At a time when tensions in West Asia are once again rising dangerously, New Delhi occupies a rare diplomatic space. India has strong strategic ties with Israel, longstanding engagement with Iran and deep economic partnerships with the Arab Gulf states. That combination allows India to maintain channels with all sides in a region where most global powers are seen as aligned with one camp or the other.

The rivalry between Iran and Israel has steadily moved from covert hostility towards increasingly open confrontation. Military strikes, drone attacks and covert operations have become more frequent, and each round of retaliation raises the possibility of a wider conflict. Such an escalation would have consequences far beyond the immediate participants. West Asia remains central to global energy supplies and international trade routes, and instability in the region invariably reverberates through global markets and political systems.

It is therefore understandable that countries in the Gulf are deeply concerned about the prospect of a prolonged confrontation between Iran and Israel. The economies of the Gulf depend heavily on stable energy flows, secure shipping lanes and predictable regional politics. Any large-scale conflict would threaten these foundations and create uncertainties that extend well beyond the region. In this context, the search for credible interlocutors who can encourage restraint and dialogue has acquired renewed urgency.

India is one of the few countries capable of engaging both sides without provoking suspicion. Over the past decade, India's partnership with Israel has grown steadily stronger. Cooperation now extends across defence, technology, agriculture and intelligence. Israel regards India as a dependable strategic partner, and the relationship has matured into one of the most important pillars of India's engagement with the Middle East.

At the same time, India has maintained a long-standing relationship with Iran shaped by historical, cultural and economic links. Iran has been an important partner in India's regional connectivity plans, particularly through the development of the Chabahar port, which offers access to Afghanistan and Central Asia while bypassing Pakistan. Despite geopolitical pressures and shifting alignments, New Delhi has continued to keep communication channels with Tehran open.

Managing relationships with two adversarial states requires careful diplomatic calibration. India has pursued this balance through its policy of strategic autonomy, which seeks to maintain constructive engagement with multiple powers rather than align rigidly with competing geopolitical blocs. In West Asia this approach has enabled India to sustain partnerships simultaneously with Israel, Iran and the Arab Gulf states, a balancing act that few other countries have managed with similar consistency.

India's interest in regional stability is not merely diplomatic but also economic and strategic. A significant portion of India's energy imports originates in the Gulf region, and any disruption caused by conflict would quickly affect domestic economic stability. The welfare of the large Indian diaspora across the Middle East adds another dimension to this concern. Millions of Indian citizens live and work in Gulf countries, contributing both to the local economies and to India through remittances.

Trade and connectivity further reinforce the importance of West Asia for India. The region lies at the crossroads of emerging economic corridors linking Asia, Europe and Africa. Instability in this strategic space would disrupt not only regional economies but also the broader architecture of global trade and investment.

At the same time, it would be unrealistic to imagine that any external actor can simply resolve the deep-rooted rivalry between Iran and Israel. The conflict is shaped by ideological hostility, strategic mistrust and a complex network of proxy confrontations extending across several countries in the region. Major global powers are also deeply involved in the strategic calculations that define this rivalry.

In such circumstances diplomacy tends to move gradually rather than dramatically. Progress often occurs through sustained engagement, quiet communication and the careful building of confidence between adversaries. India's advantage lies precisely in its ability to maintain dialogue with multiple actors across the region. Its diplomatic channels with Tehran, Tel Aviv and the Gulf capitals provide opportunities to encourage restraint and reduce the risk of miscalculation during moments of heightened tension.

India could also work in coordination with regional partners such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to support broader diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing escalation. While such initiatives may not immediately resolve the underlying rivalry, they can contribute to the creation of political space in which dialogue becomes possible.

The UAE envoy's remark should therefore be understood less as a literal suggestion than as an acknowledgement of India's evolving diplomatic stature. The fact that India is seen as a country capable of speaking to rival camps without being viewed as partisan reflects the credibility New Delhi has built through years of balanced engagement in the region.

India cannot single-handedly end the confrontation between Iran and Israel. Nevertheless, its ability to maintain relations across competing political and strategic divides gives it a potential role in encouraging dialogue at a time when the region risks sliding into deeper instability. In a geopolitical environment increasingly shaped by rigid alignments and hardened positions, the presence of a credible interlocutor can sometimes help prevent tensions from escalating beyond control. India's diplomacy places it among the few countries capable of playing such a role

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