Recent years have witnessed an intensification of international debate on the Iranian nuclear program. This book enriches the understanding of the nuclear program that Iran claims is meant for peaceful purposes, though Western powers remain suspicious of the Iranian intent and appear to be determined to block its nuclear ambition. The book situates the discourse and international debates concerning the nature of Iran's nuclear program within the emerging contour of a post 9/11 world order. Within this framework, it captures the orientations, engagements, and responses of the major world powers, as well as the regional powers, towards Iran. Contents include: (PART I: IRAN AND MAJOR POWERS) Iranian Nuclear Policy: A Historical Overview American Debate on Iran's Nuclear Program The European Union and Iran Russian-Iranian Relations in the Contemporary World Sino-Iranian Relations: Cobbling up a United Front India, Iran and US in Post-9/11 Period (PART II: IRAN AND REGIONAL POWERS) Iranian Nuclear Program: Regional Responses Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Bomb Israel's Perception of Iranian Nuclear Program Iran's Nuclear Program: Turkey's Perception and Response.

Indo-Iran relations have been the subject of intense debates and discussions in recent years, particularly post-9/11 period. The growing Indo-US relations are considered to have cast a shadow on Indo-Iran ties. Given the anti-Iranian thrust in US foreign policy, particularly on nuclear issue, the Indian foreign policy faces a daunting task of maintaining a balanced outlook towards Iran. It is in this background that this book discusses the whole gamut of issues in Indo-Iran relations including energy security, military and defence co-operation, Iranian nuclear programme, terrorism, commerce, and political, economic and cultural ties. These dimensions of Indo-Iran relations are examined with reference to the influencing factor of US, China, Pakistan, Israel, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. The 19 research articles in this volume, authored by scholars in the field, provide deep insights into the complexities of Indo-Iran relations in contemporary times in terms of their continuity, limitations, strengths and weaknesses.

War, conflict, and terrorism define the face of contemporary West Asia (Middle East). However, there are far more important issues and challenges that are currently troubling the governments of West Asian nations. These include: political, economic, and social challenges * Islamic militancy * growing unemployment * democratic reforms * human rights * the living conditions of expatriates * urbanization. Added to this list are environmental risks with such dimensions as over-fishing, soil and water pollution by the petroleum industry, the scarcity of fresh water, and desertification. This book - containing 11 contributions by scholars in the field - deals with these internal challenges of the region.

India's foreign policy posture in recent years, particularly towards the region of West Asia and North Africa (WANA), has been a subject of intense debate. India's growing relationship with the US and Israel, and its 'lukewarm stand' on Iraqi crisis and Iranian nuclear issue has been seen as a fundamental shift in the Indian foreign policy exercise. Critics have accused the succeeding Indian governments during the past one and half decades of abandoning its 'independent' foreign policy, of deviating from Nehruvian national consensus in foreign policy matters, and towing the pro-American line. Others have argued that the radical shift in the orientation of Indian foreign policy in terms of its pro- American tilt bears the mark of 'realism' and 'pragmatism' that is dictated by the demand of globalisation. Therefore, at a broader level, this book seeks to capture the emerging orientation of Indian state vis-a-vis the region of WANA in the context of globalisation. In particular, it examines the political, economic, cultural, security and diasporic dimensions of the evolving relationship between India and countries of WANA in the context of globalisation.

Since the early 1990s, India's economic interests and its self imagination as an emerging global power have assumed a higher priority in defining India's foreign policy and security goals. This has guided the Indian policy makers to intensify its engagements with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries - around which Indian foreign policy in the region revolves today in the political and economic sense of the term. This book deals with the evolving political and economic dynamics and interactions of India with global and regional powers in West Asia, with particular focus on the Persian Gulf in the post-Cold War period. It examines India's multi-dimensional relations with global powers such as the US, Russia, China, and regional powers and organizations like Iran, Israel, Turkey, and GCC respectively.