When a bomb attached to an Israeli diplomat's car exploded in New Delhi earlier this week, it not only injured at least four people, it also seriously damaged India's hopes of staying out of the conflict over Iran's nuclear program.
There is no confirmation that the attack was carried out by Iran or its ally Hezbollah, as Israel maintains. Still, the incident points to the increasingly untenable efforts by Indian officials to simultaneously nurture close ties with the U.S and strengthen relations with Israel, while maintaining valuable ties with Iran in the face of U.S. and international sanctions.
At the time of the explosion, India's minister of urban development was in Tel Aviv, one of many top Indian officials who have been traveling there in what is a fast-growing multibillion-dollar relationship. But just as rapidly as ties between Israel and India are expanding, fears of a war between Israel and Iran -- or the U.S. and its allies against Iran -- are also intensifying. The two trends are on a collision course.