India-Iran Relations Marked by Strategic Cooperation and Political Disagreements

In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, highlighting longstanding India-Iran ties and cooperation in energy and infrastructure, including the Chabahar port project. Despite these strategic relations, Khamenei later criticized the Indian government over its policies in Kashmir and communal violence, prompting formal protests from India's Ministry of External Affairs. These contrasting interactions reflect a complex bilateral relationship balancing cooperation with political disagreements.