"Iran President to attend BRICS Summit in India, bilateral talks expected"
Chabahar Port
Iran's southeastern port; India holds operational rights over the Shahid Beheshti terminal since a 2016 agreement.
INSTC
International North-South Transport Corridor; 7,200-km multi-modal route connecting Mumbai to Moscow via Iran.
India and Iran share one of the world's oldest bilateral relationships, rooted in a shared Indo-Iranian linguistic heritage visible in the Rig Veda and the Avesta, and deepened through centuries of cultural, commercial, and political exchange. In the modern era, the relationship rests on three strategic pillars: energy trade (Iran was once India's second-largest crude oil supplier, with India developing rupee-rial payment mechanisms to circumvent dollar-denominated sanctions), the Chabahar Port project (India signed an agreement in 2016 for operational rights over the Shahid Beheshti terminal, providing India's only direct maritime access to Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing Pakistan), and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) — a 7,200-km multi-modal network connecting Mumbai to Moscow via Iran, designed to reduce transit time compared to the Suez Canal route.
Iran's admission as a full member of BRICS in January 2024 — alongside Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE — opened a new multilateral platform for India-Iran engagement, supplementing Iran's SCO full membership in 2023. These developments have given India and Iran shared institutional spaces to advance economic and strategic cooperation even as Western sanctions continue to constrain bilateral trade. Iran's domestic governance under the doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) places ultimate authority over foreign policy and military affairs in the Supreme Leader, meaning the elected presidency operates within significant structural constraints — a factor India must account for when calibrating the durability of any bilateral commitments.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, through which approximately 20–21% of global oil trade passes. For India, the strait's strategic significance is compounded by the presence of over 165 Indian seafarers operating in the strait and the Persian Gulf, and by India's dependence on West Asian energy imports. Any disruption to freedom of navigation in the strait directly threatens India's energy security and the safety of its diaspora and maritime workforce.
The Chabahar Port remains the centrepiece of India-Iran bilateral cooperation. India's investment in the Shahid Beheshti terminal gives it a sanctions-exempt foothold on Iran's southeastern coast, enabling trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia without transiting Pakistani territory. The port is also integral to the INSTC, which India views as a strategic alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative for connectivity to Eurasia. …
Consider the following statements with regard to BRICS:
I.16th BRICS Summit was held under the Chairship of Russia in Kazan.
II.Indonesia has become a full member of BRICS.
III.The theme of the 16th BRICS Summit was 'Strengthening Multiculturalism for Just Global Development and Security'.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
What is the importance of developing Chabahar Port by India?
Consider the following statements about Iran's membership in multilateral groupings:
1.Iran became a full member of BRICS in January 2024.
2.Iran became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2022.
3.Egypt and Ethiopia also became full BRICS members in January 2024.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the Chabahar Port, consider the following statements:
1.India holds operational rights over the Shahid Beheshti terminal under a 2016 agreement.
2.The port provides India direct maritime access to Afghanistan and Central Asia without transiting Pakistani territory.
3.Chabahar Port is located on Iran's northwestern coast on the Caspian Sea.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is best described as which of the following?
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