| Iran and India have long had historical, cultural, and commercial ties. Tracing back a millennium, both countries have framed their shared roots as a “civilizational relationship.” Over the past decade, their economic ties, because of nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the international community, have centered on limited energy and agricultural products. In 2015, this trade amounted to about $16 billion. This number seems small when compared to $52 billion, the amount of bilateral trade Iran conducts with China. And yet for Iran, India is not only geographically closer than China—it also shares a similar geopolitical outlook for West Asia. |
