As West Asia reeled under the tremors of a short yet seismic 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in June 2025, one silent winner emerged: India’s strategic foresight and balanced diplomacy. While missile strikes, power disruptions, and cyber warfare crippled much of the region’s logistics and trade architecture, India’s vital investment in Iran’s Chabahar Port stood firm—functioning smoothly even as war clouds hovered dangerously close.
In stark contrast, the China-backed Gwadar Port in Pakistan, located merely 170 kilometers from Chabahar, witnessed indirect disruptions due to internal political panic and security lockdowns, raising questions about its resilience and long-term strategic viability.
Chabahar: A Strategic Jewel in India’s Foreign Policy
India’s investment in the Chabahar Port is not just about trade; it’s a geopolitical masterstroke. Developed with an estimated investment of $550 million, the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar forms the keystone of India’s ambition to access Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing a hostile Pakistan. The Chabahar-Zahedan railway project and port credit lines are all part of this connectivity vision.
Chabahar also serves as a strategic counterbalance to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Gwadar Port—both deeply enmeshed in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Where Gwadar symbolizes debt dependency and domestic unrest, Chabahar represents connectivity rooted in trust, partnership, and regional cooperation.
During the recent conflict, while Iranian missiles flew across the skies and Israeli retaliatory strikes targeted infrastructure and military assets, Chabahar remained untouched. Not a single report indicated disruption. Port activity continued uninterrupted, revealing the layered success of infrastructure backed by robust diplomacy.
Gwadar: A Port in Perpetual Uncertainty
Though Gwadar itself wasn’t militarily targeted, its operations were indirectly hampered by Pakistan’s decision on June 15 to shut down border crossings with Iran in Balochistan—ostensibly for “security concerns.” This move disrupted the flow of goods, especially smuggled Iranian fuel, creating supply shortages in Gwadar’s hinterland and choking auxiliary commerce.
The incident revealed a deeper malaise: Gwadar is not insulated from the shocks of regional instability or Pakistan’s own internal volatility. While port operations technically continued, the surrounding trade ecosystem crumbled—marking a sharp contrast with Chabahar’s smooth functioning.
India’s Diplomatic Agility Amid Fire and Fury
A defining reason for Chabahar’s uninterrupted operations during the Iran-Israel conflict was New Delhi’s masterful diplomatic balancing act. On June 13, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a crucial phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and on the same day, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reached out to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Days later, Prime Minister Modi also spoke directly with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, advocating restraint, de-escalation, and diplomatic resolution. This simultaneous outreach to both sides reflected India’s neutral, principled stance—rooted in strategic autonomy and multilateral engagement. As a result, Indian interests, including Chabahar Port in Iran and the Adani Group’s stake in Haifa Port in Israel, remained unscathed despite the surrounding chaos.
The War That Shattered Myths
The 12-day war exposed Israel’s long-touted invincibility through precise and unexpected Iranian counterstrikes. Iran strategically crippled key military installations such as Al-Jalil (Northern Command), Tel Nof and Nevatim airbases—effectively grounding the F-35 fleet—along with paralyzing the Mossad headquarters and the cyber operations center of Unit 8200. The attacks also brought Israel’s energy grid to its knees, with Haifa refineries and dual power plants being torched, causing rolling blackouts and severely impacting economic activity.
The technological and innovation sectors faced significant losses. Intel’s $10 billion facility in Kiryat Gat was shut down, while the prestigious Weizmann Institute lost major biomedical intellectual property. As logistics collapsed, Haifa Port—a major gateway for Israeli trade—was severely disrupted. Ben Gurion Airport was shut down multiple times, triggering a retreat by global insurers and rerouting of trade flows.
Financially, Israel faced an economic drain of monumental proportions—$17.8 billion in estimated damages, $5 billion lost in the first week, and daily costs of $725 million, including $200 million spent per day on the Iron Dome, which still allowed over 400 missile strikes to penetrate defenses. The conflict triggered the biggest human capital flight since 1948, with more than 80,000 citizens fleeing the country. In a desperate move, the Netanyahu administration even banned dual nationals from leaving to stem the brain drain.
Amid this chaos, India’s strategic interests, including the Haifa and Chabahar Ports, remained safe and functional. The fact that Chabahar was not even considered a target speaks volumes about the diplomatic respect India commands from both Tehran and Tel Aviv.
Strategic Takeaways for Bharat
The recent events underline several key lessons for Bharat. Firstly, diplomacy has proven to be a vital force multiplier. Military strength alone is insufficient to secure overseas interests; the sustained operations at Chabahar are a direct result of New Delhi’s active and strategic diplomatic engagements. Secondly, India’s unwavering commitment to strategic autonomy has paid dividends. Refusing to take sides while maintaining meaningful engagement with both Iran and Israel helped safeguard national interests without alienating either party.
Thirdly, the investment in Chabahar highlights India’s focus on building resilient and stable infrastructure projects. Unlike Gwadar, which is mired in unrest and uncertainty, Chabahar is a testament to India’s preference for collaborative, predictable development. Fourth, the crisis showcased the efficacy of the Modi Doctrine in foreign affairs. The government’s emphasis on multi-directional diplomacy, trust-building, and civilisational ethics allowed India to navigate a volatile situation without compromising its strategic goals.
Finally, this episode affirms that ports like Chabahar and Haifa are more than trade terminals—they are symbols of influence, trust, and strategic depth. By securing them through diplomacy rather than domination, Bharat affirms its place on the world stage as a civilisational power rooted in dharma and guided by prudence.
The Dharma of Diplomacy
In an era of multidimensional conflict, ports are more than infrastructure—they are strategic chess pieces in the Great Game of the 21st century. The recent Iran-Israel war reaffirmed that no economic or military asset is truly safe unless backed by trust, diplomacy, and foresight.
India’s performance during this regional flare-up is not accidental. It is the product of years of carefully calibrated foreign policy that prizes equilibrium over provocation, partnerships over propaganda, and long-term gains over short-term optics.
While Gwadar found itself ensnared in instability, Chabahar symbolised the virtues of clarity, caution, and commitment. As global powers take note, Bharat quietly advances—safeguarding interests not just through force, but through finesse.
In the silence of Chabahar’s steady cranes and humming ships, lies the sound of India’s rising global stature—anchored not in aggression, but in dharmic diplomacy.
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