Two international events offering a pro-active role for peace to India took place almost simultaneously in Jerusalem and Washington in February.
In Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was speaking for an effective international initiative for ending the dreaded Terrorism from the earth. In Washington, US President Donald Trump, claimed that during the past 10 months, he had successfully prevented a number of bloody conflicts across the continents; he however, avoided mentioning any role of terrorists in the ongoing worldwide conflicts.
Meanwhile, in spite of some adverse media comments, the Indian foreign office has maintained neutrality regarding Trump’s mentioning of his intervention in preventing a nuclear catastrophe in the Indian subcontinent. Also, the address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi before Israel’s
Knesset or the Lok Sabha did not contain any information regarding his claim…
It cannot be denied that the non-inclusion of India in Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza might have upset a section of Indian scholars keeping a close watch on the West Asian developments. However,the Indian foreign office has justified the presence of an Indian diplomat at the first meeting of the board held in Washington. Interestingly, India’s reiteration that she continues to support an independent sovereign Palestine did not evoke any response either from the self-imposed US or Israel.
In this context, Modi’s recent visit to Israel becomes significant. It is his second visit to the country, which could receive full Indian recognition only during the tenure of Prime Minister P.V. Narsimha Rao. Earlier , it was functioning through a consulate in Mumbai, but Rao allowed Israel to set up an embassy in New Delhi.
India’s Reluctance
A section in India felt that Trump had deliberately ignored India in his peace initiative. It is being led by the US administration, but Trump could continue to chair it even after demitting the office of the US President. It has been established after being named in UN Security Council Resolution as a body tasked with overseeing the processes of the Gaza peace plan.
Another reason or hesitation of the Indian participation could be attributed to Trump’s repeated assertion that he had directly prevented India-Pakistan nuclear confrontation in 2025 during the Operation Sindoor. Again Trump has repeated his assertion at the annual speech before the American Congress at Capitol recently.
Interestingly, within hours of Trump’s reference, the Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu, was extending a warm welcome to Modi in Israel. He said that he “has never been more moved” by the visit of his Indian counterpart to Israel.
Olive Branch
Trump in his first State of the Union address, has successfully reasserted his agenda of peace, while maintaining American supremacy in geo-politics.
Trump’s 2026 address. It was his first address after winning the second term.
He, perhaps, deliberately avoided mentioning any Indian leader while quoting the Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif that his (Trump’s) personal intervention had saved at least 35 million people,if India and Pakistan had used nuclear weapons against each other in 2025.
Further, he stated that during his first 10 months in the office, he personally ended eight wars including the confrontation between Cambodia and Thailand, especially when Pakistan and India were almost moving towards a nuclear war. Similarly, in Kosovo and Serbia, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Congo and Rwanda and of course, the war in Gaza, which proceeds at a very low level of conflict could be peaceful under the American supervision.
Interestingly, he avoided blaming Russia and China for their support to Iran and other countries engaged in regional conflicts.
Trump, as he has done several times in the past, was giving details of the wars that he claims to have stopped and continued to highlight his role in ensuring global peace.
US Warships in Gulf
In spite of Trump’s stress for peace, tension of an imminent war appears to have gripped the sensitive issues region of the Persian Gulf with the presence of the American warships.
During the past two months or so, since December 2025, the US-led West has been accusing Iran’s present regime of Ali Khamenei of committing human rights violations and large scale killings or massacres of civilians protesting for a democratic regime in place of the rule of the Shia clergy.
The threat of an imminent war has increased during the past four weeks with the deployment of the American warships, including the USS Abraham Lincoln having the state-of-the art missile systems and air strike planes.
Iran’s Posture
In spite of the American deployment and warnings, Tehran has been continuing its stubborn posture. According to defence and strategic affairs experts in New Delhi, Iran too has been preparing for the ongoing muscle flexing by obtaining air defence systems from Russia and war jets, drones and explosives from China. It, perhaps, explains the reluctance of Russia and China in joining the Gaza Peace Board.
Also, Americans suspect that North Korea has already supplied dirty or small nuclear devices to Iran. Iran, a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT has been denying the allegations that it is going to produce nuclear weapons or has obtained from a friendly country.
The ongoing confrontation also reminds that the US had destroyed the secular regime of Saddam Hussein on the pretext of obtaining ultimate weapons. Saddam was sent to gallows on December 30, 2006. It is being asked whether Ali Khamenei awaits a similar fate in Iran after a gap of two decades.
New Great Game
It cannot be denied that during the past two centuries, the international players in world politics have changed but the “Great Game “is going on with the British being replaced by the US and Russia by China.
There is also a geographical expansion of the “Great Game” which symbolises the extension of the fierce diplomatic and strategic confrontation between the British and Russian Empires in the 19th century.
The British were then suspicious and scared of the intentions of Moscow: now China is the target despite having close economic ties with the West. In the 21st.century, the war zone has also expanded from Afghanistan to the West Asian countries.
Instead of confronting each other, the US, China and Russia appear to be posturing through their rival’s respective proxies, which includes Iran, but avoiding any direct engagement.
There is an unwritten understanding among them that these powers respect the boundaries of each other’s area of influence. However, they do not hesitate in conspiring against each for making inroads in their respective citadels.
In recent months, the US has successfully dismantled Russia’s influence in Syria with the help of Islamists. Earlier, this strategy was used against the USSR in Afghanistan by using the Islamic card with the help of Pakistan’s security agency, Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI. In spite of an element of the terrorists identified as al-Qaeda attacked the US heartland in September 11,2001, the American deep state has maintained its close proximity with the terrorist outfits. A similar outfit has not only ousted the secular government in Syria, it has also introduced Sharia law. Interestingly, the”terrorist organization”, which rules the country with American support, is still being kept in the list of terrorists of the U.S. and UN.
It appears that India too is learning that posturing does not really reflect the true agenda in the geo-politics.
Gopal Misra has been associated with national and international media. His books on journalism and geo-politics have been well-appreciated. Views are personal.
