{"id":77840,"date":"2026-06-26T18:13:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T12:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=77840"},"modified":"2026-06-26T18:15:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T12:45:26","slug":"iran-india-civilizational-relations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-06-2026\/iran-india-civilizational-relations","title":{"rendered":"The Iran\u2013India Civilizational Relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Syllabus: GS2\/IR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • The Iranian government extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei<\/strong> next month.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Brief on India-Iran Ties<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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    • Civilisational Roots: <\/strong>The civilisational bond between India and Iran is among the oldest in the world.\u00a0<\/strong>\n
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      • The Indus Valley and Mesopotamian civilisations traded across the Persian Gulf 4,000 years ago.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Persian was the court language of Mughal India <\/strong>across the subcontinent for centuries.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Around 15% of India\u2019s Muslim population is Shia,<\/strong> a community with direct theological and cultural ties to Iran.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Formal diplomatic relations<\/strong> were established with Iran in 1950<\/strong> and were institutionalised through the Friendship Treaty of 1950,<\/strong> the Tehran Declaration of 2001, the New Delhi Declaration of 2003, and a series of subsequent agreements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Connectivity: <\/strong>India and Iran signed a MoU in 2015<\/strong> to jointly cooperate on the development of the Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar, Iran.<\/strong>\n
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        • India continues to cooperate closely with Iran in realizing the vision of Chabahar Port.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Energy Partnership: Between 1990-2018,<\/strong> Iran was either the second or third largest supplier of crude oil to India.\n
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          • Iran offered freight discounts, favourable payment terms, and crucially, settlement in rupees rather than dollars.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Trade Relations: <\/strong>At its peak, bilateral trade reached approximately $17 billion annually when oil was included.\n
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            • Even after sanctions reduced the oil component, the non-oil trade remained significant \u2013 $2.33 billion in 2022-23, with India maintaining a trade surplus.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • The Joint Commission on Bilateral Trade (established in 1983) met annually or biannually to review and expand cooperation.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • A Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement was in force.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Support to India: <\/strong>In 1994, Iran refused to back a Pakistan-driven OIC resolution on Kashmir that was reportedly supported by several Western countries at the UN Human Rights Commission.\n