Kanwal Sibal is a former Foreign Secretary to the Government of India. He has served as India’s Ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France and Russia, and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington DC with the personal rank of Ambassador. He was also a member of India’s National Security Advisory Board from 2008 to 2010. With over 41 years of diplomatic experience, he explains geopolitics and foreign affairs from an Indian perspective.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Ambassador Kanwal Sibal explains how the Israel–U.S. war against Iran could deeply hurt India’s interests in the Gulf. He also discusses why Iran could sink any ship in the Strait of Hormuz and why he believes there is “a huge vacuum in global leadership.”

He also discusses what India should do in the conflict, the sinking of the IRIS Dena, the objectives of the U.S. and Israel in the war, and what the future of security in the Gulf could look like.

00:00 – Introduction

00:35 – India’s Stand on the Iran War

07:29 – Sinking of IRIS Dena

18:12 – PM Modi’s Visit to Israel

23:55 – Iran’s Nuclear Program

28:15 – War with a “Civilizational State”

30:12 – India–U.S. Relations

39:42 – Christopher Landau’s Remarks

43:45 – Why India Needs the Gulf

49:41 – Americans as Partners

56:37 – Russia–Ukraine War

1:00:21 – France’s Nuclear Umbrella

1:02:12 – Which Countries Might Go Nuclear Next?

1:07:30 – Importance of the Strait of Hormuz

1:11:45 – Targeting Fuel Depots in Iran

1:15:05 – Gulf Under Attack

1:18:10 – Possible Outcomes of the Iran War

1:21:42 – How the Iran War Could Affect India

1:25:54 – Global Leadership Crisis