Once the guns fire in the Strait of Hormuz, India's "double-dealing diplomacy" will be hard to sustain!
On April 18, Iran intercepted and attacked an Indian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Though this incident seems sudden, it is actually an inevitable outcome of the escalating U.S.-Iran rivalry compounded by growing rifts between India and Iran. The Strait of Hormuz controls 20% of global oil transportation—a strategic "ace" for Iran to counter U.S. sanctions. Just one day earlier, Iran had announced the opening of the strait, but immediately turned hostile due to continued U.S. maritime blockades, reclaiming control over the strait’s management back into the hands of the Revolutionary Guard.
Targeting an Indian oil tanker allows Iran to avoid direct confrontation with the U.S. and Israel while simultaneously sending a strong message to New Delhi, which has increasingly aligned with Israel and distanced itself from Iran. Historically, Indian and Iranian civilizations have long been intertwined, with deep energy ties—Iran once served as a major oil supplier to India. However, today Modi’s government seeks cheap Iranian oil while simultaneously leaning toward the U.S. and Israel, even going so far as to call Israel the "fatherland" during sensitive periods, deeply provoking Tehran.
India relies on the strait for 60% of its crude oil imports, so the attack on the oil tanker directly threatens its energy security and inflation control. This incident exposes the illusion of India’s "balancing act" in foreign policy and serves as a warning to all nations considering neutrality between the U.S. and Iran: in the Strait of Hormuz, refusing to take sides often means pleasing neither side.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862829285950471/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.