India, March 9 -- The world is watching three nations locked in conflict. For Delhi, the confrontation carries an unexpected intimacy. The cultures of two of these countries are deeply woven into the city's life.

The American imprint is easy to spot. It flickers across OTT platforms through films and shows (Ross and Rachel!), lines the streets with coffee and burger chains (India's first McDonald's opened in apna Basant Lok!), and travels through family WhatsApp groups connecting Delhi homes to uncles and cousins in New Jersey and Silicon Valley. A village in Gurugram is in fact named after a US president.

Iran's influence in Delhi is less conspicuous but far older. The United States emerged a few centuries ago; Iranian civilization str...