India's Strategic Balancing Act in Strait of Hormuz Reflects Global Power Shifts and Energy Dependence
Original framing: “Modi Walks Tightrope Between Iran and US” — Bloomberg
The Strait of Hormuz has been a flashpoint since the 16th century, with European colonial powers, the British Empire, and now the US vying for control. India's current strategy echoes its Cold War-era non-alignment, where it maintained ties with both the US and Soviet blocs. The framing misses how historical patterns of great-power competition shape today's tensions.
India's engagement with Iran is not a 'tightrope walk' but a calculated response to structural constraints: US sanctions, energy dependence, and historical ties.
The Strait of Hormuz crisis reflects broader tensions between US unilateralism and multipolar realignment, where India's role as a swing state is often understated. Historical precedents, from the Cold War to colonial-era trade routes, show that balancing multiple alliances is a pragmatic strategy. Marginalised voices, like fishermen and migrant workers, highlight how geopolitics disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations. Future scenarios suggest that as climate change exacerbates resource competition, cooperative frameworks like IORA will be essential. The solution lies in multilateral security initiatives, energy diversification, and South-South diplomacy—approaches that challenge Western-dominated narratives and prioritize systemic resilience over binary alliances.