US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he does not believe India and Iran are currently discussing a trade deal, while warning that countries helping Tehran circumvent US sanctions could themselves face punitive measures.
Rubio's remarks came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The two leaders discussed bilateral ties, trade and the situation in West Asia.
Asked about the meeting and whether India and Iran were working towards a trade arrangement, Rubio said, “Well, I don’t think there’s a trade deal between India and Iran.”
Speaking on The Brian Kilmeade Show, Rubio said countries were free to pursue their own foreign policies and noted that several nations maintained contact with Iran. However, he reiterated Washington's opposition to any efforts to help Tehran evade US sanctions.
“I think what ultimately happens, though, is , and the President’s been very clear, is no country should be helping Iran evade sanctions,” Rubio said.
He added that countries should not create mechanisms that allow Iran to generate revenue that could be used to “sponsor terrorism and try to build a nuclear weapon”.
“And if countries decide to do that, then we’re going to have to sanction them too,” Rubio said.
At his meeting with Pezeshkian, Modi had said India wanted to strengthen its long-standing ties with Iran and expand and diversify bilateral trade.
“Met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India's long-standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors. We want to expand and diversify our trade basket in the times to come,” Modi said in a post on X.
The two leaders also discussed the situation in West Asia, with Modi reiterating India's support for efforts aimed at securing lasting peace in the region.
The Ministry of External Affairs described the meeting as “fruitful”. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Modi reiterated India's position that issues in the region should be resolved through “dialogue and diplomacy”.
The discussions also covered the safety of commercial shipping, seafarers and civilians amid the ongoing conflict, as well as the need to safeguard freedom of navigation and commerce.
Modi also conveyed India's readiness to work closely with Iran in multilateral forums, including BRICS and the SCO. He invited Pezeshkian to India for the BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi from September 12 to 13.
(With inputs from ANI)