KEY POINTS:
When American Vice-President Dick Cheney fired a warning to Iran from the deck of an American aircraft carrier during his recent Middle East tour, he was also sending a message to allies to get behind America's policy of isolating and containing Tehran.
But India, which signed a civilian
nuclear deal with the United States as part of a strategic alliance, is showing it is not willing to oblige Washington.
It appears to be continuing its dual policy of co-operating with international efforts to impose sanctions on Iran but also engaging directly with Tehran on energy, trade and defence.
Earlier in the year as the US-Iran face-off worsened after evidence of Tehran's involvement in Iraq was revealed, India set out to expand its ties with Iran, sending Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee on a two-day visit to Tehran in February.
The visit sent US lawmakers into a tizzy. Tom Lantos, the new chairman of the House foreign affairs committee, accused New Delhi of not "fulfilling its promises". Lantos believes India has not put pressure on Iran to reverse its nuclear weapons programme.
Mukherjee's visit was aimed at securing India's energy needs. But it was also a signal to Washington that New Delhi was not ready to abandon its foreign policy autonomy.
From Tehran's standpoint, the visit was an act of reparation for damage done to Indo-Iranian relations. Iran felt let down by India when it voted with the US on a 2005 International Atomic Energy Agency resolution accusing Tehran of not complying with its international obligations.
Barely six months later, Iran was jolted a second time when India again voted with the majority to refer it to the Security Council.
Before the second vote, America's Ambassador to India, David Mulford, caused a stir when he said the US-India nuclear co-operation deal hinged on how India voted.
New Delhi took note. In July, the US House of Representatives cleared the way for civil nuclear co-operation with India. The US Congress ratified the deal in December.
Though India insisted its vote was not cast under US pressure, many believed its close relations with Iran had suffered a setback.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has found it hard to maintain the delicate balance of interests. His Blair-like compliance with Bush puts him at odds with influential left-wing groups which give his Government its majority in Parliament, and with his country's Muslims.
With the IAEA and Security Council votes, Washington forced a re-evaluation of India-Iran ties.
But now, New Delhi is showing its friendship with Iran will not be blocked by Washington.
This shift is driven by India's quest for energy security. To meet spiralling demand, it has entered into a slew of agreements with Iran, which is Opec's second-largest oil producer with 10 per cent of the world's oil reserves. Iran also has the world's second biggest natural gas reserves.
India's energy-dependence on Iran worries Washington.
"The United States has made very clear to India that we have concerns about its relationship with Iran," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the Senate foreign relations committee last April.
The concerns include a proposed gas pipeline to deliver Iranian natural gas to India through Pakistan.
Washington is worried that India's growing dependence on Iran for energy is not compatible with US policy to isolate Iran and curb its nuclear programme.
Masking its unease, the Bush Administration has consistently played down Delhi's links with Tehran, saying they were defined by national interest and not a hindrance to the US.
But Iran is not the only Indian friend worrying Washington.
An economically resurgent Russia, keen to reassert its global relevance and to gain a foothold in South Asia, is forging a strategic partnership with India.
Thanks to oil, Russia has moved from being on the brink of bankruptcy 10 years ago to having the third largest foreign exchange reserves in the world, standing at US$350 billion ($481 billion).
Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to New Delhi in January presaged an Indo-Russian strategic partnership in the making , focused on energy.
And Singh was quick to make capital from the visit.
"Russia's position as a global leader on energy issues is widely recognised," he said. "We look forward to a long-term partnership with Russia in this vital field."
Moscow is promoting closer ties between New Delhi and Tehran and wants a stake in the Iran-India gas pipeline project.
