Middle East Policy

THE ERUPTION OF the US-Iran confrontation in late-February 2026, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and followed by Tehran’s missile retaliation against Gulf infrastructure, has pushed the Middle East into a new phase of instability. Oil prices have been rising, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz faces repeated disruptions, and the region has once again reminded the world of its capacity to unsettle the global economy. For India, whose stakes in the region are vast—ranging from heavy energy dependence to a large expatriate community and expanding diplomatic partnerships—such turbulence inevitably tests the resilience and coherence of its foreign policy.