Ministry of External Affairs (India)
India's foreign ministry in New Delhi, headed by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
India's Ministry of External Affairs runs New Delhi's Foreign Policy under S. Jaishankar. In April 2026 it stayed silent for seven days on US sanctions naming Indian firms, yet answered Iranian fire on Indian tankers within 24 hours.
Last refreshed: 12 October 2026 · Appears in 3 active topics
Will India keep buying Russian crude once the Graham Act's tariffs fall due?
Timeline for Ministry of External Affairs (India)
Vowed to protect India's trade
Russia-Ukraine War 2026: Mentioned in: Trump waives Graham Act's Russia tariffsDisclosed the Doval-Rezaei contact
Iran Conflict 2026: GFS Pride sinks in the Strait of HormuzIssued India's response to the House vote
Russia-Ukraine War 2026: Trump signs Graham Russia sanctions lawFramed Chabahar transfer as tactical recalibration and confirmed continued engagement with Washington
Iran Conflict 2026: Chabahar waiver expires; India hands stake overConfirmed engagement with Washington on waiver renewal but produced no OFAC instrument
Iran Conflict 2026: India hands Chabahar to Iran at Sunday midnightBackground
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) runs India's Foreign Policy from South Block in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar heads it, and Vikram Misri has been Foreign Secretary, its senior civil servant, since 15 July 2024, with his term extended to July 2027.
Its defining task in 2026 is keeping India's energy supply open without a public break with any major power. The ministry's line on Russian oil ties purchases to energy security for 1.4 billion people, bought "on the basis of evolving market dynamics". That line now faces US law: the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, signed on 18 September, requires tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on goods from the largest buyers of Russian crude or gas, and Russia supplied 30.3% of India's crude imports in fiscal year 2026, according to American Bazaar.
The same balancing shapes its Iran policy. Chabahar Port, energy imports and Indian crews in The Gulf give New Delhi reasons to keep talking to Tehran while it avoids open conflict with Washington.
The ministry chose which crisis to answer
In April 2026 the ministry carried three Iran files at once and spoke publicly on only one. It stayed silent for seven days after the US Treasury named five Indian nationals and eight Indian firms in the Shamkhani oil network on 15 April, yet responded within 24 hours when Iranian gunboats fired on Indian tankers. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri summoned Iran's ambassador.
Chabahar made a third file: India's US sanctions waiver for its Iranian port investment lapsed on 26 April, and the ministry said only that it was engaging Washington on renewal. Each file pulled toward a different capital, so the ministry spoke where it could act and stayed quiet where any answer meant choosing between them.
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 12 October 2026. Editorial standards.