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The recent attack on an Israeli Embassy car in New Delhi has put the Indian government in a difficult spot – it needs to maintain relationships with two key allies, Israel and Iran, which are important trading partners, while investigating the attack thoroughly. Officials from Israel say they have proof Iran was behind the New Delhi attack, while officials from Iran claim the Israelis were responsible.

Tuesday’s blasts in Thailand, which have resulted in two arrests of men Thai authorities say carried Iranian passports, has ratcheted up Israel’s public statements against Iran, and will put even more pressure on India. So far, India has been careful not to assign blame. On Tuesday, Home Minister P. Chidambaram called the New Delhi explosion, which left four injured, a “terrorist attack” perpetrated by a “well-trained person.” He also said it would be premature to assign blame to any country or group.

Israel’s ambassador to India, Alon Ushpiz, stressed the strength of the India-Iran relationship on local news channels Tuesday: “If by targeting an Israeli woman in the heart of Delhi, if somebody thinks he is going to undermine this relationship between the two important powers, he should wake up and smell the coffee,” he told NDTV.

India’s relationships with Israel and Iran are very different.

A newly created India established diplomatic ties with Iran in 1950, following centuries of shared trade and culture. While India is highly dependent on Iran for oil (some reports say it is the largest customer of Iran’s oil) and as a market for rice exports, the relationship between the two has not substantially developed in other ways in recent years. Earlier this month, India announced a new trade delegation would travel to Iran seeking to increase economic ties in the wake of sanctions imposed against Iran by Europe and the United States.

In contrast, India established diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992, after opposing the United Nations vote that created Israel in 1947. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, though, relations warmed, and ties in agriculture, research and development are being forged. Defense trade between the two countries still dominates, though. In December 2011 it was estimated to reach $10 billion during the past decade, as India ordered everything from low altitude radar systems to surface-to-air missiles.

A look at India’s relationship to both countries by the numbers:

IRAN

Indian exports, April 2011 to October 2011: $1.4 billion, up 6 percent from a year ago

Indian imports, April 2011 to October 2011: $5.9 billion, up 2 percent from a year ago

Major trade:

Petroleum products – India imported 22 million tons of Iranian crude oil in 2009-2010, worth about $10 billion, making it Iran’s third-largest crude market, the last official data available. Recent reports say India’s imports increased to 550,000 barrels a day in January, making it Iran’s largest petroleum consumer. India is reported to be Iran’s largest rice supplier.

Indian community in Iran: About 240 families and 800 students.

ISRAEL

Indian exports, April 2011 to October 2011: $2.3 billion, up 49 percent from a year ago

Indian imports, April 2011 to October 2011: $1.4 billion, up 11 percent from a year ago

Major trade: Defense, diamonds

Indians in Israel:

Non Resident Indians: About 300

Persons of Indian origin: An estimated 45,000, mostly immigrants and descendents of Indian Jews who migrated to Israel in the 1950s and 1960s.