Iran and India: The Need for Constructive Re-engagement

Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran and the United States have been locked in a bitter conflict. Although it has not yet degenerated into a war, as has been the case with some international conflicts, isolation of the Islamic government has become the basic objective of US foreign policy towards Iran. US policymakers maintain that economic sanctions can force the government of Iran to change its policy on many international issues. The sanctions have had their impact, as can be seen by the gradual decline in Iran–Europe relations, and the Iranian state has lost the support of its traditional partners. In such circumstances, some Iranian policymakers have proposed that Iran should replace its European partners with Asian countries in need of energy. This explains the shift in Iranian policy towards Asian countries.