New Delhi, May 3 -- On February 25, 2026, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood in the Israeli Knesset and declared that "India stands firmly by Israel's side." Thirty-six hours later, U.S. and Israeli missiles began striking Iran. The timing has haunted Indian foreign policy ever since.

India did not start this war. But it cannot escape it. The U.S.-Iran conflict, which erupted on February 28, has exposed a structural vulnerability at the heart of Indian grand strategy - one that no amount of diplomatic balancing can paper over.

Energy Crisis at the Kitchen Table

The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 20 percent of the world's daily oil and liquefied natural gas. When Iran closed it on March 1, India felt the consequences almost imm...