One of India’s key investments is in Chabahar, a port area in Iran that India is trying to develop NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump’s decision to re-impose sanctions on Iran will lead to increased instability and unpredictability in Indian-Iranian relations, and hinder India’s ambitions in Central Asia, experts warned on Saturday. “Regionally, this is a disaster,” said Meena Singh Roy, head of the West Asia Center at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses. “Additional sanctions impact our trade interests and connectivity projects.” One of India’s key investments is in Chabahar, a port area in Iran that India is trying to develop so it can use it to send goods to Afghanistan, increase its geopolitical sway in Central Asia, access the region’s natural resources and markets, and replace its current route through Pakistan. The latter is often fraught with delays and tensions because of rivalries between the three nations. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped up efforts to develop relations with Tehran with a visit in 2016 that led to the signing of agreements to develop Chabahar. In February this year, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited India, and the two nations signed a leasing agreement giving India operational control of Shahid Beheshti port, phase one of Chabahar port. “If this Damocles sword of sanctions and revocation of the nuclear accord was not there, the possibility of moving much faster would be much greater,” said Ashok Sajjanhar, a Central Asia expert and former Indian ambassador. “Apart from getting rid of Pakistan’s stranglehold, it would help us connect in a much stronger way with Afghanistan and Central Asia,” he added. “We need better connectivity to make our presence felt there in a big way, and if we have to bring in peace there, development has to be there.” On Wednesday, India’s Foreign Ministry said the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved “peacefully through dialogue and diplomacy by respecting Iran’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.” It urged all parties to “engage constructively” to address and resolve the issue. The other worry for India is its energy security. Iran is its third-largest provider of crude oil after Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and any instability in the Middle East sends oil prices skyrocketing. “If India is looking at its national interest, it will have to find innovative ways to continue with its dealings with Iran,” said Roy.