Iran neither a real friend not a trusted trade partner

Myth on  India’s Trade With Iran vs Gulf Countries

India–Iran Trade

Due to US sanctions on Iran, India’s trade with Iran has fallen sharply since 2019.

Earlier it was about $13–17 billion annually (mainly crude oil imports).

After sanctions, oil imports stopped and trade dropped to roughly $2–3 billion per year or less (mostly rice, tea, pharmaceuticals, chemicals).

👉 So today Iran is a relatively small trading partner for India.

India–Gulf Countries Trade (Much Larger)

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) includes:

UAE

Saudi Arabia

Qatar

Oman

Kuwait

Bahrain

Total India–GCC trade (2024-25):

$178.7 billion. �

The Economic Times +1

Breakdown examples:

Total Trade with India

Country

UAE

~$100 billion

Saudi Arabia

~$42 billion

Qatar

~$14 billion

Oman

~$10.5 billion

Kuwait

~$10 billion

Bahrain

~$1.6 billion

These countries are major energy suppliers and economic partners. �

www.ndtv.com

In fact:

GCC provides a large share of India’s oil and LNG.

Gulf countries host millions of Indian workers who send huge remittances to India. �

AGSI

2. Why Iran Still Matters Strategically

Even though trade is smaller, Iran is important because of:

Geography

Gateway to Central Asia and Afghanistan via Chabahar port.

Energy

Iran has massive oil and gas reserves.

Shipping routes

The Strait of Hormuz near Iran carries a large share of global oil shipments, affecting India’s energy security.

3. About Your Question on “why some Indian Muslims support Iran”

This is not mainly about trade. Support or sympathy usually comes from other factors:

Possible reasons:

Religious identity

Iran is a major Shia Islamic country, so some Muslims worldwide feel religious solidarity.

Geopolitical narratives

Iran positions itself as opposing Israel and the US, which influences opinions in parts of the Muslim world.

Media and social narratives

Social media often frames conflicts as religious or ideological struggles, not economic ones.

Humanitarian sympathy

Some people support civilians or victims of war regardless of country.

But it’s important to note:

Indian Muslims are not a single political group.

Opinions vary widely just like among Hindus, Christians, or any other community.

✅ Key takeaway

India’s economic ties with Gulf countries are huge (~$179B).

India–Iran trade is comparatively very small due to sanctions.

Public reactions in India toward conflicts are usually driven by identity, politics, and media narratives, not by trade numbers.