The Iran Upheaval Has Unraveled a Decade of Indian Foreign Policy

As Pakistan steps into its role as peace broker, is India being left in the cold? Former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove and international journalist Rosanna Lockwood are joined by lecturer in South Asian Studies at Yale, Sushant Singh, to unpack this dramatic shift in South Asian and Middle Eastern geopolitics. Starting with In Brief, Sir Richard and Rosanna look at how the Iran and US blockades of the Strait of Hormuz are putting the global energy economy in peril. They also discuss the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire in relation to the stability of Lebanon’s government, as well as whether secret US talks with Cuba will lead to military or economic intervention in the country. Then, Singh explains the unexpected rise of Pakistan as mediator for peace talks between Washington and Tehran, the diminishing influence of India Prime Minister Narendra Modi globally and at home, and how balancing its relationships with China and Russia may come at the cost of eroding India’s alliance with the US. In this episode: 03:36 – Standoff in the Strait of Hormuz 08:00 – Latest on the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire 13:53 – Cuba is back on Washington’s radar 18:43 – Sushant Singh introduction 19:30 – Pakistan’s surprise mediator role 23:00 – Explaining India’s ‘dalal’ remark 25:42 – Modi’s weakening at home 27:59 – Muslim-Hindu divide in India 28:56 – Modi’s Pakistan dilemma 30:18 – Pakistan’s Middle East reclassification 32:04 – The growing irrelevance of the Quad 34:08 – India’s dependence on Russia 39:39 – Erosion of US-India relationship 44:04 – India’s Israeli ties 48:19 – Risks for Pakistan as a mediator  51:21 – One Decision: Can India and Pakistan start talking again? 53:01 – Sir Richard and Rosanna discussion Read more: Pakistan’s Peacemaking Is a Setback for India Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and Rosanna Lockwood (International Journalist). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices