India To Buy Iran Oil in Rupees

India will not follow US embargoes on Iranian oil. This is in contrast to European countries who most likely will suspend Iran oil imports. EU is more vulnerable to US pressures due to its economic crisis. Financial bail out packages could be linked to an anti Iran stance.

But India has a different equation with Iran. Relationships between India and Iran go back to India’s cultural ties with the Islamic world dating back by 1000 years. The face of cultural India is undeniably Islamic, as in Taj Mahal, Red Fort and other Mughal monuments. Persian was the court language of Mughal India for almost 500 years. Besides cultural and population ties, India has economic and strategic relationships with Iran.

India needs access to Central Asian countries through Iran as Pakistan will not allow that trade passage. Around 12% of India’s oil needs are met from Iran. There is apparently no direct benefit for India to limit oil imports from Teheran except to please Iran’s adversary.

Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai says: “We have accepted sanctions which are made by the United Nations. Other sanctions do not apply to individual countries. We don’t accept that position.” Indeed, he went further, noting that an Indian delegation would travel to Iran to “work out a mechanism for uninterrupted purchase of oil from Iran.” And India and Iran have reportedly agreed to settle some of their oil trade in rupees to avoid restrictions on dollar-denominated trade. India-Iran relations will throw the US administration at odds with its favored regional superpower for the sub-con.

Looking Back at Tahrir Square

Last year we were glued to the TV, watching thousand of young Egyptians protest against new pharaoh. Western nations were shocked. They did not anticipate the domino effect to hit Israel’s most important rival so quickly. Without Mubarak treaty with Israelmay not continue. Islamists might spring to power. Muslim Brotherhood could kick start a campaign for a global Caliphate. The press conferences in western capitals showed their uneasy and often confusing directions in decision making. Were they with the revolutionaries or against them? Will the US support the dictator Mubarak like they supported the Shah, or will they support the revolutionaries of freedom and liberty. Initially, US did not support freedom and liberty in Egypt. They hoped for Mubarak to use his forces to crush the rebellion. Mubarak collapsed. Why are the revolutionaries back in Tahrir Square after a year?

Egypt is too important an Arab state to be left alone by Israel and her partners. The peace treaty between Egypt and Israel has been the corner stone of Israel’s strategy so far. Israel can’t afford a hostile Egyptian government especially not an Islamic one. It would be in the best interest of Israel to create disunity, mistrust and suspicion between civil and military administrators in Cairo. Only a crisis driven Misr is good for Israel. As Misr moves from one crisis to another, it is also warranting a good case for the military to step in and normalise the situation. For the moment, Masris have shown their deep understanding of regional politics and that is why they are back in Tahrir Square. Unfortunately, their armed forces are betraying that all important trust.