Diplomacy gets sticky for India as Israel claims Delhi, Bangkok bombs to be similar

NEW DELHI: India is likely to find the diplomatic balancing act tougher after Israel's claim that sticky bombs found in a Bangkok house were similar to the devices used against Israeli embassy targets in New Delhi and Georgia.

The foreign policy establishment here was not willing to name any country or group responsible for the attack in Delhi. "The investigations are on. We don't have any evidence to blame any particular country or group," said an official.

But the mounting global pressure on Iran could make it difficult for India to sustain its ties with both Iran, which meets 12% of the country's oil demand, and Israel, its second-largest arms supplier.

"If, yesterday, Iran still had the benefit of doubt, despite the simultaneity of bombing, aborted in Georgia and successful in Delhi, today the complicity of its nationals in the Bangkok fiasco is raising fresh questions about its role," said former ambassador KC Singh.

This assessment is shared by many who feel that an Iranian or Lebanese involvement in the attacks could pile up pressure on India to side with the international opinion against Tehran.

The development coincides with the plan of the United States and Europe to choke finances to Iran by evicting Tehran from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT), an independent financial clearing house that is crucial to the country's overseas oil sales.

This could trigger an oil price spiral, said an official who did not wish to be named. "If the complicity of Iran in the attacks is established, Israel and US will not back off from their demand to isolate Tehran," the official said.

But a section of the strategic community rules out a snapping of ties between India and Iran. "It is still speculative to say what the investigations will reveal. Even in the worst case scenario of an Iranian or a Lebanese national close to a group like the Hezbollah being involved, it is hardly a cause for undermining our economic interests," said former ambassador G Parthasarathy.

The situation will be dealt diplomatically, he said. India will express its displeasure, maybe cancel or postpone a high-level visit. "You don't just cut off trade or diplomatic relations because there is a problem," he said. The US has had problems with many countries, for instance, he said, but it didn't cut off relationships.

"I don't see India ending its trade and economic, especially energy relations. India is pouring money into Afghanistan through investments in iron ore, steel, copper, gold, and we are talking of building rail lines. How on earth is India to reach Afghanistan if not through Iran? After all, Pakistan is not going to give us access," said Parthasarathy.

Security experts nonetheless believe that India will be forced to step up its engagement with Israel if Iranian or Lebanese involvement is established in the recent attacks.

Deputy Israeli premier Dan Meridor has already forecast a boost to bilateral relations with India. "I think that if it becomes clear that Iran, or Iranian intelligence, or Iranian-inspired Hezbollah, used India in order to carry out terrorist attacks, the diplomatic realm as well as the intelligence cooperation between Israel and India can be activated," Meridor told Israel's Army Radio.