India, March 29 -- There is a raging debate in India on whether the country should mediate in the Iran war. Those in favour argue that India's unique relationships with Tehran, Washington, and the Gulf as well as its global standing make it the natural mediator between Tehran and Washington. Others have referenced Nehruvian diplomacy, the Korean precedent in particular, to show that India once mattered in international mediation and can again, if indeed there is political will. It is a seductive argument, but it is wrong. Here's why.

Let me begin with an uncomfortable question: Why are we even debating this when we didn't hear any of this during the Ukraine war? If you trace the timing of the mediation argument in New Delhi, you will rea...