Iran's Secret Deal with India

Iran is looking to India to frustrate U.S. efforts to isolate Iran economically. Iran has made significant progress in developing a pipeline from southeastern Iran through Pakistan into India. The deal will provide India with 7.5 million tons of natural gas annually. India needs the energy as its economy is growing by 8% annually. The U.S. has been trying to convince India not to conclude the deal, but it appears unlikely to succeed.

But the deal does not end there. According to the Wall Street Journal it also includes $25 billion dollars worth of military equipment. India has been a major producer of military equipment for Russia and Iran is a new source of military sales. This new relationship has resulted in a secret deal:

According to Jane's Defense Weekly and Defense News, Tehran and New Delhi inked a secret defense agreement in 2003 providing India with access to Iranian military bases in the event of a war with regional rival Pakistan. This is hardly surprising; both nations have mutual concerns regarding security threats that could emerge from Pakistan, particularly if Islamic radicals ever succeeded in toppling Gen. Pervez Musharraf from power.