India's position on the 1979 Islamic Revolution In Iran

Abstract

India has enjoyed strong and close relations with Iran since time immemorial, particularly given the significant trade ties between the two countries. Most of Iran's trade passed through the Arabian Gulf via the Indian Ocean. At the same time, India was heavily dependent on Iranian trade, particularly oil. Therefore, it was only natural for India to be affected by the changes that occurred in Iran during the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Political, economic, and social relations between the two countries continued after the revolution, with India recognizing the new regime in Iran two days after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

The new Iranian regime demonstrated tangible cooperation in developing relations between India and Iran, maintaining all the privileges India had inherited from Iran during the Pahlavi era. There was widespread Indian political and public recognition of the new Iranian political system in 1979, and political and economic cooperation between the two countries continued. India recognized the new political system in Iran after the Islamic Revolution as a fait accompli and therefore chose to preserve its interests and privileges with the new regime. Although the American hostage crisis in Iran provoked some opposition from certain Indian politicians, India adopted a policy of balancing its relations with both Iran and the United States.