Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, has embarked on an official visit to India with two principal objectives: first, to revive and expand relations with India, and second, to participate in the Quad summit, a strategic alliance comprising the United States, India, Japan, and Australia.
Although Rubio, during the visit, sought to project Washington’s strength and deepen ties with New Delhi through claims regarding the Strait of Hormuz, references to the US role in safeguarding freedom of energy transportation, political and economic promises, and emphasis on the importance of the Quad alliance, evidence suggests that these moves reflect above all Washington’s urgency and anxiety to placate India following recent strategic setbacks, New Delhi’s gradual pivot toward Iran and Russia, and its growing distance from US policies. In addition, part of the purpose behind this trip appears to be an effort to revive a Quad alliance that has effectively lost its function in regional equations, particularly in projects aimed at containing China and pressuring Iran, Russia, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
A Shift in New Delhi’s Calculations After Recent Developments
In recent years, Indian policymakers operated under the assumption that by pursuing a pendulum-like foreign policy and engaging simultaneously with both East and West — while also maintaining membership in alliances such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, they could secure greater benefits and elevate India’s global standing, even to the level of obtaining permanent membership on the UN Security Council. Within this framework, New Delhi gradually distanced itself from certain Islamic countries while forging extensive relations with the Israeli regime. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the occupied territories some time ago, along with the $10 billion agreement reached between the two sides, can be understood in this context.
However, these calculations faced serious challenges amid new global developments, including the imposition of 50 percent US tariffs on India, the consequences of the American-Israeli war drive against Iran, and shifting dynamics in global energy and trade. The intelligent management of the Strait of Hormuz and the crises resulting from disruptions in energy and food supplies further accelerated this trend. As a result, India on one hand insisted on disregarding anti-Russia sanctions and continuing imports of Russian oil and gas, while on the other hand, despite several years of halting energy imports from Iran, it not only moved toward restoring that trade but also placed greater emphasis on expanding relations with Tehran and maintaining ongoing coordination to ensure the passage of its ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
India’s recent positions at the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting, along with its emphasis on expanding relations with Iran, Russia, and China, are clear signs of this shift in approach and of the lessons New Delhi has drawn from recent developments.
Washington and the Crisis of Rebuilding Lost Trust
Although Rubio has attempted to present the United States and the Trump administration as reliable partners, Trump’s one-year record, particularly the war drive against Iran in support of the Israeli regime, has raised the wall of distrust among Washington’s allies higher than ever before.
Today, even America’s European allies have come to realize that the White House’s primary priority is not the security and interests of its partners, but rather the preservation of Israel’s interests. At the same time, the Strait of Hormuz crisis and its economic and energy-related consequences exposed Washington’s inability to guarantee the interests of its allies. To the point that even America’s traditional allies in Europe and NATO now show little willingness to align themselves with US initiatives, instead emphasizing the necessity of diplomacy and coordination with Iran to secure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, rather than relying on Washington’s promises.
Under such circumstances, Rubio’s remarks in India and his discussion of issues such as expanding economic cooperation and even reconsidering tariffs may, in the short term, create a media image of improving bilateral relations. In practice, however, America’s capacity to rebuild trust has entered a steeper decline than ever before, particularly given that Trump has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of behavioral and strategic consistency, making his decisions difficult to rely upon. Furthermore, developments during the Ramadan War also exposed the hollowness of American military supremacy in the face of resistance and cast serious doubt on the myth of Washington’s invincibility.
Quad: An Alliance Under the Shadow of America’s Strategic Erosion
One of the main pillars of Rubio’s visit to India is participation in the Quad summit. Prior to traveling to New Delhi, he stressed that Washington remains deeply committed to this strategic alliance with India, Japan, and Australia and would continue cooperation with Quad members in the coming year.
The alliance was established in 2007 at the initiative of then–Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with the backing of US Vice President Dick Cheney, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Its principal objective was to secure US interests in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly through containing China. In effect, the alliance’s members became part of Washington’s broader strategy of pressure against China and even against Iran, Russia, and alliances such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Although the United States was at times able to advance some of the group’s objectives, developments during the Trump era, especially the Ramadan War, have called Washington’s ability to sustain this trajectory into question. Rubio’s rushed diplomatic tours and the contradictory nature of US policy toward China are themselves signs of this condition. Meanwhile, Quad members have gradually come to recognize that the United States is incapable of guaranteeing their interests, a reality clearly visible in India’s and Japan’s turn toward importing energy from Russia and expanding relations with Iran in order to secure the safety of energy routes.
The emerging global order is moving in a direction that no longer leaves room for American unilateralism, and many of Washington’s alliance-building efforts have become more symbolic structures than genuine strategic realities. Just as NATO, after decades, is now facing serious signs of fragmentation, the influence and appeal of US policies are likewise declining in international forums and regional organizations.
Today, the Quad resembles a venue for ceremonial meetings and commemorative photographs more than an effective strategic alliance, gatherings lacking operational cohesion and enforceable commitments. For this reason, Rubio’s promotional efforts to portray the Quad as an efficient and decisive alliance are unlikely to alter this reality.
NOURNEWS