In a Multipolar Moment: Why India Should Respond to the Iran War With Strategic Restraint and Multilateral Diplomacy
The widening war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has marched from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and has now begun to unfold within India’s extended strategic neighbourhood. The sinking of an Iranian naval vessel near Sri Lanka, missile exchanges across the Gulf, disruptions to energy flows and airspace closures across major aviation hubs have all brought the conflict closer to India’s economic and security periphery.
In moments like these, there is always a temptation for countries to claim the moral high ground or issue strong declaratory positions. But for India, the wiser path may lie in something quieter but strategically more consequential. Restraint, Vigilance and the careful use of Multilateral Diplomacy. So far, New Delhi appears to have largely followed that course.
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| File Photo: EAM Jaishankar |
At the same time, India resisted domestic pressure to escalate its posture following the dramatic sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena by a U.S. submarine in waters south of Sri Lanka. That episode triggered an intense political debate within India about maritime sovereignty and the country’s long-standing claim to be a stabilising force in the Indian Ocean. But New Delhi avoided a reactive response that could have deepened the confrontation.
Instead, diplomatic engagement remained open. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited the Iranian embassy in New Delhi and signed the condolence book following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader. This gesture acknowledged the gravity of the moment without endorsing any particular side in the conflict. The move also signalled continuity in India’s diplomatic approach even as the war intensified.
Similarly, as IndianRepublic.in previously reported, EAM Jaishankar spoke with Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of calls with regional and global leaders. Modi’s conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Emmanuel Macron focused on de-escalation and the need to restore diplomatic pathways.
The message from New Delhi has consistently been that dialogue must eventually replace violence. This posture actually reflects the reality of India’s material interests in the region.
More than one crore Indians live and work across the Gulf states, and form one of the largest overseas communities anywhere in the world. Remittances from these workers form a crucial economic lifeline for many families in India. The Gulf is also central to India’s energy security. A significant portion of India’s crude oil and LNG imports passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime chokepoint which is now threatened by the expanding conflict.
As IndianRepublic.in reported in its coverage of the Strait of Hormuz disruptions, even temporary interruptions to maritime traffic can ripple through global energy markets and supply chains. For India, prolonged instability in the Gulf would have immediate economic consequences.
This raises a difficult but necessary question that if the conflict continues for months, is it even possible to bring millions of Indians home from the region? Realistically, the answer is no.
Large-scale evacuations are only feasible during short crises. A prolonged war would instead require India to focus on maintaining stability in the region and ensuring that economic activity and daily life can continue. The stakes extend beyond energy and diaspora concerns. The conflict has also begun to reshape the strategic geography around India.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is already operating in the Arabian Sea, while the USS Gerald R. Ford has moved into the Red Sea. This has given Washington naval power on multiple fronts around the region. The Indian Ocean itself has now witnessed direct combat activity with the sinking of the Iranian warship near Sri Lanka.
At the same time, broader geopolitical tensions are simmering in South Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific. The United States has been increasingly active in Bangladesh, while great-power competition in the Indian Ocean continues to intensify.
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Rhetorical escalation would achieve little in this tense environment. What India needs most right now is strategic clarity and restraint. This is where multilateral diplomacy becomes crucial.
India has long argued that global conflicts must ultimately be resolved through dialogue and international cooperation. Forums such as BRICS, the G20 and the United Nations provide platforms where India can continue to push for de-escalation without becoming entangled in the conflict itself.
Among these, BRICS may offer a particularly important channel. Brazil, Russia and China have all called — in different ways — for an end to the violence. While their positions vary, the grouping still represents a forum where major emerging powers can articulate a collective appeal for restraint.
For India, engaging through such multilateral platforms allows it to pursue two objectives simultaneously. We will be protecting our national interests while reinforcing our long-standing diplomatic commitment to peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Equally important is the recognition that the current war will leave behind a devastated regional landscape. Infrastructure across parts of Iran, Lebanon, the Gulf and Israel has already suffered heavy damage. The Gulf economies, particularly, form the backbone of global energy markets, and have experienced severe disruptions.
Rebuilding this region will require enormous financial resources, technical expertise and long-term partnerships. Those are areas where India could eventually play a constructive role. But that role will only be possible if India preserves its diplomatic credibility and avoids being drawn too deeply into the current confrontation. Strategic patience, in other words, may be India’s greatest strength at this moment.
The task for New Delhi now is not to shout the loudest or claim moral victory in a polarised conflict. It is to keep diplomatic channels open, protect its citizens and economic interests, maintain a high level of military vigilance and continue advocating for peace through international forums.
While it is true that in moments of global upheaval, restraint is often mistaken for passivity but we should also not be oblivious to the fact that in reality, it can be a sign of strategic confidence. In this war that is unfolding dangerously close to our shores, India may find that calm diplomacy is the most powerful tool it possesses.
Read a Note on how we are covering the Iran War.
(Saket Suman is Editor at IndianRepublic.in, and the author of The Psychology of a Patriot.)