Relationship dossier
India
Iran
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation on Chabahar and regional connectivity, constrained by sanctions and periodic political friction
India toward Iran
+25India has invested in developing and operating the Iranian port of Chabahar and has pursued it as a route for regional connectivity. India also joined Iran and Afghanistan in a 2016 agreement on transport and transit cooperation. However, India ended purchases of Iranian oil in 2019 amid U.S. sanctions.
Iran toward India
+25Iran has cooperated with India on the development and operation of Chabahar and entered into regional transit arrangements with India and Afghanistan. In 2024, Iran's ports authority signed a ten-year Chabahar operating contract with an Indian state-owned company. Iran's Supreme Leader also publicly criticized India's handling of Kashmir in 2019.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship has a durable basis in cooperation over Chabahar and regional transport links, but economic ties have been constrained by sanctions and India's cessation of Iranian oil imports. Political friction, including Iranian criticism concerning Kashmir, has not displaced the practical cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
India and Iran have pursued practical cooperation, particularly on the Chabahar port and regional connectivity. India has also reduced economic engagement when constrained by U.S. sanctions, including ending imports of Iranian oil in 2019. The relationship combines sustained strategic cooperation with limits on trade and occasional political friction.
Areas of tension
- U.S. sanctions have constrained India-Iran trade and energy cooperation.
- Iranian criticism of India's handling of Kashmir has caused periodic political friction.
Key developments
India, Iran and Afghanistan signed an agreement on transport and transit cooperation centered on Chabahar.
India ended imports of Iranian oil amid U.S. sanctions.
Iran's ports authority and an Indian state-owned company signed a ten-year contract for operation of the Chabahar port terminal.
Major uncertainties
- The future scope and implementation of India-Iran port and connectivity cooperation remain uncertain.
- The extent of bilateral trade and energy cooperation under sanctions constraints is unclear.