New Delhi, Nov. 5 -- The Gulf crisis has placed India's foreign policy under an extraordinary test. The conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States has disrupted energy supplies and threatened shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy corridors. For India, which imports close to 90 per cent of its crude oil requirements, the consequences extend beyond the price of petroleum. They involve energy security, maritime trade, relations with competing regional powers and the safety of nearly 10 million Indians living and working in the Gulf.

India's predicament is particularly complex. Iran is an important neighbouring country, while Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and other Gulf states are indispens...