West Asia

About Centre

The West Asia Centre seeks to cover issues, themes and countries of the region which are undergoing rapid political transformation impacting the political and security situation of the region and beyond. Popular protests demanding political and economic reforms and the subsequent fall of some long ruling authoritarian rulers and the rise of Islamists to power have significantly changed the region’s political landscape. GCC-Iran rivalry, Shia-Sunni sectarian conflict, external intervention in the region, and the rise of religious radicalism have further aggravated the situation. The Centre is closely following the unfolding internal political developments in individual countries as well as the regional political scenario.

The historical shifts in the region and domestic political developments will have a significant impact on India’s external environment. With huge stakes in the region such as energy, trade and safety of Indian citizens in the region, it has become important for India to carefully watch developments taking place in its ‘extended neighbourhood.’ These and other related issues are being focused upon by the scholars at the Centre. The Centre continues to hold regular bilateral dialogues with some leading think tanks in West Asia thus facilitating exchange of ideas and perspectives.

Current projects being pursued in the Centre are:

Linking South and Central and West Asia: Transportation and Energy Cooperation
Political transformations in the Arab world and implications for India
Regional organisation in Gulf: The Gulf Cooperation Council
India-Arab relations and partnership
Iran’s domestic and foreign policies
India’s Engagement with Iran: Prospects and challenges.

Syria and the OPCW: Taking a Stock of the Situation

The joint OPCW-UN team mandated to assist Syria with the elimination of its chemical weapon programme by mid-2014 may not be realistic. As in the case of Russia and the US, the deadline for the destruction of stockpile of chemical weapons has shifted considerably.

Sudarshan Bhutani
October 17, 2013
Issue Brief

India and Central Asia: Need for a Pro-active Approach

India has traditionally attached great importance to its relations with Central Asia. But, unfortunately, the relationship faces several constraints including the lack of direct access to Central Asia; the unstable situation in Afghanistan and a problematic India-Pakistan relation.

Arvind Gupta
October 14, 2013
Policy Brief

Post-Morsi Egypt: Saudi Manoeuvring and Iranian Dilemma

The issue brief analyses the changing patterns of relationship of Saudi Arabia and Iran, the two major players in the Gulf, with Egypt in the backdrop of the removal of Morsi.

Prasanta Kumar Pradhan
September 27, 2013
Issue Brief

Debating the Doctrine of Military Intervention

The emerging doctrine of intervention is built around the ability of the international community, mainly the US-led western alliance, to impose its collective will in order to restore a deteriorating situation or to prevent a nascent conflict from burgeoning into full blown war with wider ramifications.

Gurmeet Kanwal
September 13, 2013
IDSA Comments

The Great Gas Game over Syria

New energy find in West Asia will set forth new political equations. Syria alone has discovered huge proven gas, oil and shale reserves. Whether the Assad regime survives or a change of regime happens there would determine the global gas system in a large way.

Gulshan Dietl
September 09, 2013
IDSA Comments

How has the West responded to ‘gassing’ in West Asia?

It is not so much because of the use of chemical weapons that will unleash US fire-power, but the fact that the Assad regime might be winning the civil war in conjunction with its Iranian and Hezbollah allies.

R. S. Kalha
September 04, 2013
IDSA Comments

Israel-Palestine Talks: Enablers and Prospects

Prospects of a solution will hinge on the ability of the two sides to moderate their maximalist positions and the ability of the Obama administration to play the role of an ‘honest broker’.

Iranian Nuclear Imbroglio: The Way Forward

After wining the elections, Hassan Rouhani has insisted that Iran is ‘ready to show more transparency’ over its nuclear programme, but has also affirmed that it has ‘inalienable rights’ to enrich uranium as a member of the NPT.

Iran under Hassan Rohani: Imperatives for the region and India

The victory of moderate cleric Hassan Rohani as the President and his accommodative overtures have potentials of driving Iran into a new era of relationship with the neighbourhood as well as with the US.

Rajeev Agarwal
July 19, 2013
Issue Brief

Egypt poised for a long political battle ahead

The removal of Morsi is a setback to the nascent democratic experiments in the post-Mubarak Egypt. The decision of the army seems to have been influenced more by the popular sentiments on the streets rather than the rule of law.