India's stance on the US-Israel attack on Iran and the widening of the conflict to Arab countries and oil trade routes should not be governed by emotional reasons, a top Indian ex-diplomat has said.
Nirupama Menon Rao, former foreign secretary, argued that India's strength lies in balance, keeping multiple relationships alive at once, and refusing to let any one partnership become a trap.
She warned that India should not suffer from 'Israel envy', admiring Israeli military prowess as a strategy, but rather preserve room for manoeuvre, protect its energy and maritime interests, and maintain credibility across West Asia.
India has sought to project the image of an equidistant votary of peace in the US-Iran conflict, but the war has hit vital supply routes, triggering an LPG crisis in India, with people having to stand in long queues for hours to buy cylinders.
