On Monday, within hours of a bomb attack on the wife of its defence attaché in New Delhi, Tel Aviv reflexively and confidently blamed Iran for the deed. It pointed to another seeming attempt to attack its interests in Georgia the same day, and linked the incidents to Tehran without offering a shred of evidence.The biggest casualty of the attack, which thankfully killed nobody, is the grievous injury to India ’s pride. At the very least, Israel can insinuate that India’s capital is unsafe, even a few hundred yards from the Prime Minister’s office; it can even do so by saying its diplomats feel totally secure in New Delhi.More seriously, going by India’s track record of investigating attacks on its soil, the worry is that we will never know who orchestrated the bombing. What we will have is Israel’s word against Iran’s on an attack with India none the wiser. Can there be a more embarrassing or helpless position to be in for an aspiring global power?The theory that Iran could be retaliating for the assassinations of its nuclear scientists (an Israeli hand is presumed here) has been conspicuously suggested by the Jewish nation. But the idea that Iran would want to make India a theatre in its rivalry with Israel is far-fetched and does not sit well with the track record of Tehran’s relationship with India.Iran is in a desperate position because of western financial sanctions to punish it for its nuclear programme but it is certainly not desperate enough to alienate New Delhi by ordering an attack on its soil. Last month, India stepped up purchases of Iranian crude oil, compensating for a decline in sales to China and becoming the Central Asian nation’s largest customer.When it is struggling to find buyers for its crude oil, why would Iran go and poke its finger in the eye of its best customer, especially knowing fully well that Israel will use even the flimsiest excuse to pin the blame on it?There is no doubt that Iran is in a tight spot: the sanctions are hurting, the regime of its close ally Bashar al-Assad (the head of a Shia elite ruling a Sunni-majority country) is in trouble and regional rival Saudi Arabia has manoeuvred itself into a position of strength.As far as Iran’s nuclear programme is concerned, India’s position has been clear. New Delhi does not want an Iranian nuclear bomb but prefers diplomacy, not coercion, to resolve the issue. Last week, India resisted European pressure to join western nations in their punitive measures against Iran and made apparent that it will pursue an independent course dictated by national interest.Knowing this, why would Tehran annoy New Delhi? Israel, on the other hand, has been beating the war drum as the US builds to an election. It has been suggesting that a unilateral strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities is imminent.But Israel, too, is in a spot of bother. The peace process with the Palestinians is in tatters, hardline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s relationship with US President Barack Obama is frayed, and the Assad regime is hanging on despite intense international pressure.While Israel refuses to negotiate saying it has no peace partner, Hamas and Fatah , the warring Palestinian factions, have patched up. With his uncompromising stand on the peace process, Netanyahu has left himself with few options and some reluctant friends. In such a scenario, Iran is a welcome diversion. So who benefits from an attack on Israeli interests in India at this time?The answer is obvious. What are the options for the Indian government? If it succumbs to Israeli propaganda and joins western efforts to further isolate and punish Tehran, it will be acting against its national interest. With the Americans due to pull out of Afghanistan, it is imperative that India maintains cordial ties with Iran so that it’s able to work towards its goal of a stable and prosperous south Asia.Defying the Netanyahu government may result in some diplomatic and security backlash in the short term, but the costs will be worth it. India just has to wait out Netanyahu.The big lesson for India, however, does not concern diplomacy or foreign policy. It is about the state of our investigative apparatus. Not all attacks can be prevented, but when they take place, the crime must be solved. The investigative prowess of police departments across the country is quite pathetic.Indians and foreigners alike must have faith that when a crime is committed on our soil, our police and other agencies will solve it. Unsolved crimes must be the exception, not the rule.This alone will send a strong message that India is not to be trifled with. Ruling out nothing without proving anything is just not good enough.