Tough test

As Israel and Iran continue to exchange missile strikes, targeting not only military and strategic infrastructure but also residential buildings, the world is on edge.

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These are the Middle East’s two most powerful militaries and neither appears willing to back down. If their conflict intensifies, the impact will be felt around the world — including in India. Already, the fighting has spooked oil and stock markets. Financial analysts predict that a full-fledged war could make things a lot worse, especially since two other devastating wars, in Gaza and in Ukraine, are already putting pressure on international diplomacy and stretching the global economy to its limits. India has strong strategic ties with both Israel and Iran and, yet, will face pressure to choose between them. That pressure will be much more intense than the calls India faced from the West to