US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned countries against helping Iran circumvent American sanctions, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek.
Rubio said the US did not believe India and Iran were currently negotiating a trade deal, but cautioned that countries facilitating mechanisms to help Tehran evade sanctions could themselves face punitive measures.
“I don’t think there’s a trade deal between India and Iran,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News Radio, while responding to a question on the Modi-Pezeshkian meeting.
He said Washington would impose sanctions on countries that helped Iran generate revenue through arrangements designed to circumvent US restrictions.
The remarks came a day after Modi and Pezeshkian held a bilateral meeting at the SCO summit. The two leaders discussed India-Iran relations as well as the evolving situation in West Asia.
India has maintained close diplomatic ties with Iran and has consistently called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts in the region. Tehran is also important to India's connectivity plans, particularly through its partnership in the development and operation of the Chabahar port.
The US has in the past granted India exemptions related to the Chabahar project, recognising its importance for India's connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Rubio's latest remarks, however, come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and growing scrutiny of countries maintaining economic ties with Iran.
The US warning does not indicate that Washington has accused India of violating its sanctions. Rather, it signals that countries entering into arrangements that enable Iran to circumvent American sanctions could face US action.
India has sought to maintain its strategic and economic interests with Iran while deepening its partnership with the US, which has become increasingly challenging amid the escalating tensions in West Asia.