What is the common examiner trap about Intl. Relations in UPSC exams?

They may ask about the 'principle violated' by unilateral intervention, offering options like 'Non-interference' (correct) but also mixing in 'Responsibility to Protect (R2P)' or 'Doctrine of Hot Pursuit', which are different concepts. For India's stance, they might confuse 'strategic autonomy' with 'non-alignment' or 'multi-alignment'.

What should UPSC aspirants remember about Intl. Relations for Prelims?

1. Target this Legal Point: UN Charter Article 2(4) - prohibits use of force against territorial integrity. 2. Target this Nodal Body: United Nations (as the custodian of the Charter). 3. Target this Infrastructure: Chabahar Port and International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

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US Unilateral Actions Challenge UN Charter Article 2(A) Sovereignty: Impact on India's Chabahar, INSTC, and Global South Leadership

Q: The article mentions a specific principle of the UN Charter that prohibits the use of force against a state's territorial integrity. Under which ministry/department does India's permanent mission to the United Nations primarily function?

Ministry of External Affairs, India's permanent mission to the United Nations is part of its diplomatic corps, which is managed and overseen by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The MEA handles all foreign relations and international diplomacy.

Q: Consider the following statements regarding the arguments presented in the article: 1. The author claims the US attack on Iran is a decisive and new shift in its foreign policy approach. 2. The article cites the UN Charter's Article 2(A) as the legal provision that prohibits unilateral military intervention. 3. It is argued that external attacks can strengthen an unpopular domestic regime through a 'rally round the flag' effect. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Both 2 and 3, Statement 1 is incorrect as the author argues the opposite - that the attack is part of an old pattern, not a departure. Statement 2 is correct; the article explicitly mentions Article 2(A) of the UN Charter. Statement 3 is correct; the article analyses the 'rally round the flag' phenomenon in detail.

Q: According to the article, approximately how many interventions has the United States undertaken, which form the pattern it discusses?

Around 100, The article states: "There have been around 100 such interventions by the US..." and then lists examples like Iran (1953) and Chile (1973). The other options are plausible-sounding but incorrect distractors.

Q: What is a key strategic reason cited in the article for India's vital interest in maintaining relations with Iran, despite the US-Iran conflict?

Connectivity to Afghanistan and Central Asia via Chabahar port and INSTC, The article explicitly mentions that "The International North–South Transport Corridor and the Chabahar port are important for connectivity with Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the wider Eurasian region." This is presented as a core Indian strategic interest. The other options are not mentioned in the article.

Intl. Relations Polity Security & DefenceHIGH

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCSSC GAPrelims MediumMains HighStatic GK Link

11 Mar 2026

~2 min

Source: Indian Express

Key Data:UN Charter Article 2(A)~100 US interventions

Bodies:United NationsBRICSJNU (School of International Studies)

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~2 min · Quick mode

What This Article Covers

1.The article argues the recent US attack on Iran is not a new shift but part of a long-standing US pattern of unilateral interventions, citing around 100 historical examples like Chile (1973) and Iraq (2003).

2.It analyses that such external attacks can paradoxically strengthen unpopular regimes through the 'rally round the flag' effect, providing them temporary legitimacy and a pretext to suppress dissent.

3.For India, the conflict poses constraints due to energy dependency, diaspora in the Gulf, and US ties, but also pressures India to take a clear, autonomous stance to protect its interests in Chabahar, INSTC, and its Global South leadership, especially before the BRICS Summit.

The Big Picture

Prelims · MediumMains · High

This opinion piece critiques US unilateral actions against Iran as a continuation of its historical pattern of regime intervention, violating the UN Charter's principle of sovereignty. For India, it highlights the strategic dilemma of balancing ties with the US, protecting energy security and diaspora, while safeguarding crucial projects like Chabahar port and the INSTC, and upholding its strategic autonomy as a Global South leader.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

UN Charter ArticleArticle 2(A)

Historical US Interventions Cited~100 (e.g., Iran 1953, Chile 1973)

Key Indian Project in IranChabahar Port & INSTC

Upcoming Summit MentionedBRICS Summit

1-Minute Revision

›UN Charter Article: Article 2(A)
›Historical US Interventions Cited: ~100 (e.g., Iran 1953, Chile 1973)
›Target this Legal Point: UN Charter Article 2(4) - prohibits use of force against territorial integrity.
›Target this Nodal Body: United Nations (as the custodian of the Charter).
›Target this Infrastructure: Chabahar Port and International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

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News Snapshot

📜

Pattern of Intervention

The article frames recent US actions against Iran not as a departure but as part of a historical pattern of unilateral interventions challenging state sovereignty.

⚔️

Rally Round the Flag

External attacks can paradoxically bolster unpopular regimes by shifting public focus to national survival, granting them temporary legitimacy and a pretext to curb dissent.

🇮🇳

India's Strategic Dilemma

India faces a complex balancing act between US relations, energy security, its Gulf diaspora, and protecting strategic assets like Chabahar port and its Global South leadership.

Detailed Analysis & Strategic Depth

Context / Background

The article is a rebuttal to an editorial claiming a decisive shift in US policy. It anchors the argument in a long historical continuum of US foreign policy, citing specific interventions from the 1953 Iran coup to the 2003 Iraq War. This establishes that unilateral action is a core, recurring feature of US strategy to protect its geopolitical and economic hegemony, not an anomaly.

Core Analysis & Implications

The analysis has two key strands. First, it frames US actions as a fundamental challenge to the UN Charter's Article 2(A) and the rules-based international order it claims to lead, creating a credibility crisis. Second, it introduces the counterintuitive 'rally round the flag' dynamic, where external threats can rejuvenate a struggling regime domestically. For India, the implications are multi-dimensional: testing its 'strategic autonomy', endangering critical connectivity projects (INSTC, Chabahar) vital for Central Asian access, and posing risks to energy security and the large Indian diaspora in the Gulf region.

Future Outlook / Way Forward

The writer urges India to resolve its 'stuck in the middle dilemma' ahead of the BRICS Summit. The suggested way forward is a clearer, more decisive foreign policy stance that is congruent with the principle of strategic autonomy, ensuring India is not perceived as bending to US-Israeli pressure, while pragmatically safeguarding its national interests in the region.

Key Facts at a Glance

UN Charter ArticleArticle 2(A)

Historical US Interventions Cited~100 (e.g., Iran 1953, Chile 1973)

Key Indian Project in IranChabahar Port & INSTC

Upcoming Summit MentionedBRICS Summit

You've read the full analysis. Now test your understanding.

Practice exam-style questions based on this article.

Q1Static LinkageEasyUPSC, SSC, State PSC

The article mentions a specific principle of the UN Charter that prohibits the use of force against a state's territorial integrity. Under which ministry/department does India's permanent mission to the United Nations primarily function?

Q2Statement-basedMediumUPSC, MPSC

Consider the following statements regarding the arguments presented in the article:

1. The author claims the US attack on Iran is a decisive and new shift in its foreign policy approach.

2. The article cites the UN Charter's Article 2(A) as the legal provision that prohibits unilateral military intervention.

3. It is argued that external attacks can strengthen an unpopular domestic regime through a 'rally round the flag' effect.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricEasyUPSC, SSC

According to the article, approximately how many interventions has the United States undertaken, which form the pattern it discusses?

Q4Application/ImpactMediumUPSC, MPSC, SSC

What is a key strategic reason cited in the article for India's vital interest in maintaining relations with Iran, despite the US-Iran conflict?

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US Unilateral Actions Challenge UN Charter Article 2(A) Sovereignty: Impact on India's Chabahar, INSTC, and Global South Leadership

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

1-Minute Revision

News Snapshot

Pattern of Intervention

Rally Round the Flag

India's Strategic Dilemma

Detailed Analysis & Strategic Depth

Context / Background

Core Analysis & Implications

Future Outlook / Way Forward

Prelims Flashpoints

Key Facts at a Glance