Just hours after India signed a 10-year port operation agreement with Tehran, the US issued a warning about possible sanctions for any nation thinking about doing business with Iran.
In 2016, India signed a deal to build the strategically significant Chabahar port, which is located near Iran’s border with Pakistan. It inked a long-term agreement with Iran on Monday to advance it. It was dubbed “historic moment in India-Iran ties” by India’s minister of shipping.
However, the US, which has placed more than 600 sanctions on organizations with ties to Iran over the previous three years, might not be pleased with the move.
When questioned about the agreement, the nation’s State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel, stated during a press conference on Tuesday that the US sanctions against Iran remain in effect and will be upheld by Washington. “Any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran—they need to be aware of the potential risks that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions,” he said.
At the end of 2018, India assumed control of the port’s operations. By opening a transit route, the port allowed Indian goods and products to reach Afghanistan and Central Asia without having to travel via Pakistan, a country with whom India shares a hostile relationship.
According to officials, 2,000 tonnes of pulses and 2.5 million tons of wheat have been delivered from India to Afghanistan via the Chabahar port thus far.
