India eyes strategic balance as Foreign Secy Misri heads to US amid West Asia crisis

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday that Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will be visiting Washington, DC, for three days. The visit will take place from April 8 to April 10. Amid extreme geopolitical change, his visit to the US is noteworthy. The visit coincides with rising tensions in West Asia, where the ongoing conflict has caused major worries about marine routes, oil security and regional stability.

The government communique also mentioned that Misri’s meetings with high-ranking US officials are expected to focus on both strengthening strategic ties and collaborating to address new global challenges. The MEA also said that the talks during the visit will cover important areas like trade, defence cooperation, and working together in science and technology. At the same time, officials indicated that the talks will focus on the recent developments in the Gulf region, especially the unstable situation in West Asia.

Meanwhile, the diplomatic corridor highlights the economic front in India, volatility in global oil prices and its implications for India. Even small increases in crude prices could significantly impact fiscal projections, compressing timelines for stability, and putting pressure on government finances. Concerns also rise over supply-side management, including the availability of essential commodities like gas. While central directives exist, enforcement at the state level remains uneven, occasionally leading to issues such as black marketing. The instability is getting worse because the Strait of Hormuz is closed, and it is now the centre of the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran. After Iran effectively blocked the Strait in response to US–Israel strikes in February, Washington has used a mix of military pressure, coercive diplomacy, and coalition-building to reopen it.

In March, the US started a targeted campaign to take out Iran’s naval capabilities, including drones, missile systems, and ships that were threatening commercial shipping. Washington has also shown that it is willing to escalate further by threatening to attack Iranian infrastructure if the strait is not reopened. Diplomatically, the US is pushing for a ceasefire arrangement tied directly to reopening the waterway. A proposed framework involves Iran restoring shipping access in exchange for a pause in hostilities, though Tehran has so far resisted such conditions.

Roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil and a major share of LNG pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making it the most critical energy checkpoint globally. Since the blockade, tanker traffic has collapsed sharply, at one point nearing zero. Further, global oil prices surged dramatically, triggering global inflationary pressure. Adding shipping risks, insurance costs and rerouting challenges have also escalated.

Besides, experts called it the largest energy supply shock since the 1970s crisis in India as it imports over 80 per cent of its crude oil, a significant portion of which transits through Hormuz. According to the power corridor, it is widening the current account deficit, domestic inflation, and supply chain disruption.

India’s approach, on the other hand, is in line with its long-standing policy of strategic autonomy, which means that it engages with both sides at the same time without fully siding with either. India keeps diplomatic and economic ties with Tehran and doesn’t support military escalation or rhetoric aimed at the regime. At the same time, India has high-level visits with the United States. India has strengthened its cooperation with the US in defence, technology, and geopolitics. India is backing dialogue and de-escalation instead of confrontation, which means it is not taking sides in military terms. This stance also helped India get energy from the Iranian government.