Despite claims by some politicians in Tehran of Iran’s relationship with India having “far more potential” than ties with China, that potential is not being realized. Rhetoric aside, the Islamic Republic continues to struggle to achieve comprehensive progress in bilateral ties with India.

Alongside relations with neighboring states, Asia forms the core of the conservative Iranian government’s foreign policy focus, as Ebrahim Raisi set out in a presidential debate during the election campaign last June. Raisi criticized what he perceived as the western-oriented foreign policy of his predecessor Hassan Rouhani (2013-21) during several debates. In this vein, the Raisi administration in Aug. 2021 promised a pivot towards “Asia-centered” foreign policy and although some progress has been made, there have been more obstacles than the government anticipated. Iran’s India policy has been a particular challenge...