India's Iran Policy Simply Makes Sense
Bharat Karnad, The Diplomat | March 22, 2012
India has economic and domestic reasons for its ties with Iran. ++ India cannot simply give up Iranian oil: many Indian refineries are made for processing Iranian crude. ++ India has substantial trade with Iran beyond oil. ++ Iran also acts as a strategic gateway for India in maintaining Afghan links and countering the Chinese presence in Pakistan. ++ Domestically, India contains the largest Shi'a community after Iran. ++ US complaints over Iran-India contact endanger US-Indian relations and the overall goal of containing China.
