Moreover, India needs Iran as an alternative trade and energy conduit to Central Asia, bypassing rival Pakistan, and also as a hedge against an uncertain future in Afghanistan after America’s withdrawal in 2014. As a result, India’s policy mirrors China’s: it has aligned itself with mandatory international sanctions, but has abjured voluntary Western financial restrictions.
此外，印度需要伊朗这条绕过巴基斯坦的中亚能源贸易替代通道，还需要伊朗在2014年美国撤出阿富汗之后对未来的不确定性进行对冲。因此印度的政策和中国如出一辙：那就是赞同强制性的国际制裁，但拒绝执行西方的自愿金融限制政策。可以想见的最好情况是印度继续执行这种擦边球政策——比如在降低对伊朗石油依赖的同时扩大从沙特阿拉伯的石油进口，目前沙特已经是印度排名第一的原油供应国。