Iran or the USA, India has to make a tough choice between its strategic allies…..

With India all set to get elected unopposed to the UN Security Council, all members of the powerful economic bloc of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) will sit on this important and august forum of the UN body which has the power to veto any initiative of the world community. While China and Russia are permanent members having veto power, India will be elected to the United Nations Security Council for the first time in 20 years, joining Brazil and South Africa in a bloc of emerging economic powers that may resist U.S. pressure on Iran.

But will India be able to actually resist any pressure regarding Iran? India and Iran have a common future through a strategic agreement. India and the USA also have similar arrangement. In that case, USA and India have commonality of interests. In this blog, it was discussed that Iran and the USA are in effect natural allied, their public posture notwithstanding. Similar views were also expressed elsewhere wondering if USA and Iran have already tied the knot in a secret marriage.  

Notwithstanding the fact that India and Brazil will not have a strong say in the UNSC, their expanding economies will give them political clout on the UN’s principal policy-making body. According to the Businessweek, India signaled possible opposition to sanctions on Iran before the Security Council’s vote in June. India’s government released a statement saying it “conveyed to the U.S. that sanctions on Iran have proved to be counterproductive and that all differences with Iran should be resolved peacefully through dialogue and negotiations.”

Since the Security Council passed tougher sanctions on Iran, the U.S. has stepped up pressure on Iran’s banks and the country’s national security leadership, and on companies that invest in Iran’s energy industry. India is one of Iran’s largest crude oil customers. The Security Council’s elected members, lacking a veto, can block needed consensus on bringing issues before the body and obstruct proposed statements condemning governments including Sudan, Myanmar and Zimbabwe.