At the same time, Mottaki might also realise that gas export is a two-way trade and India is not the only beneficiary. A broad picture of India’s energy diplomacy vis-a-vis countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Russia might indicate that Iran will also be a loser if the gas deal falls through. A detailed picture of the extent of Indian investment plans in other parts of the world might convince the visitor that Iran, though important, is not India’s only option. While it is legitimate for Iran to demand a higher price, India will not be dictated to. Not by Washington and not by Iran.

Third and most importantly, Iran has only one address in India: Government of India. While the country can benefit from India’s democratic polity and avenues, its ability to influence the official Indian policy has to stick to certain norms.

At the height of the domestic controversy over the IAEA vote, an impression was created that Iran was trying to influence the policy by befriending certain quarters that were critical of the Manmohan Singh government.

In the early 1990s, Iran sought to play up the Shia factor and there were suggestions of tacit Iranian involvement in the Kashmir upsurge. Now it is playing footsie with the Left, which has emerged as a bitter critic of the government over Iran’s nuclear puzzle.

Mottaki might be reminded that so long as India does not have similar avenues in his country, Iran might avoid getting embroiled in Indian domestic politics. Diplomacy is a two-way street!

... contd.