Iran occupies an awkward but important position in Indian foreign policy. It is the location of Chabahar Port, India's route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan entirely, and a node on the International North-South Transport Corridor. It sits astride the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large share of India's crude imports passes. At the same time, sanctions have constrained Indian energy purchases and complicated payment mechanisms, and the recent US-Iran conflict has sharpened the risks around Gulf shipping. An ambassador in Tehran therefore manages a relationship where India's connectivity and energy interests pull one way and its ties with the United States and the Gulf states pull another.