US warns against India-Iran Chabahar pact

Tensions rise as India signs 10-year contract despite US threat of sanctions

WASHINGTON:

Following India’s signing of a 10-year contract to operate Iran’s Chabahar port, the US has issued a warning that its sanctions on Tehran persist, reiterating that “anyone” contemplating business deals with the Islamic Republic must be “aware of the potential risk.”

Simultaneously, the State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel, stated that the Indian government would address its own foreign policy objectives.

“I will let the government of India speak to its own foreign policy goals regarding the Chabahar port, as well as its bilateral relationship with Iran,” Patel remarked during the department’s daily press briefing on Monday.

“We are aware of reports indicating that Iran and India have signed a deal concerning the Chabahar Port,” Patel responded to a query. However, he cautioned, “Any entity or individual considering business deals with Iran needs to be cognisant of the potential risks they are exposing themselves to, including the potential risk of sanctions.”

The agreement for the Long-Term Bilateral Contract regarding the operation of Chabahar Port, Iran’s sole ocean port, was officially executed on Monday between Indian Ports Global Limited (IPGL) from India and the Port & Maritime Organisation (PMO) of Iran.

Patel confirmed that the sanctions imposed by Washington on Tehran remain in effect and will be enforced, refusing to grant New Delhi exemption for this deal. “US sanctions on Iran remain in place, and we will continue to enforce them,” he asserted. When asked if India was exempted from the sanctions for this deal, Patel responded, “No”.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2024.

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