Indian Foreign Minister: We Will Not Follow U.S. Sanctions Against Iran

On Monday, ahead of a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj announced that New Delhi will only implement sanctions imposed by the United Nations against Iran and will not follow unilateral U.S. sanctions or those from any other country. U.S. President Donald Trump, a staunch critic of the Iran nuclear deal, announced last month that the United States would withdraw from the JCPOA, stating that U.S. sanctions against Iran's nuclear program would be reactivated. Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also threatened the Islamic Republic, stating that if it does not cease its missile program development and behavior in the Middle East, it will face the most severe sanctions in history from the United States. However, as reported by Reuters, Swaraj stated on Monday that New Delhi's stance on this issue is independent of the positions of other countries, including the U.S. She explicitly stated that her country will only adhere to UN sanctions against Iran and will not implement U.S. or other countries' sanctions against Tehran. Swaraj's remarks were made ahead of her meeting with Zarif in New Delhi. She is set to meet with Zarif, who is leading a political-economic delegation to India, on Monday evening. Iran and India have longstanding political and economic ties, with India being one of Iran's largest oil customers. Before the imposition of stringent economic sanctions in 2011, Iran was India's second-largest oil supplier, but during the sanctions, India's imports from Iran decreased. After the implementation of the JCPOA in 2016, Iranian oil exports to India gradually increased. Reuters reported that the purpose of Zarif's visit to India is to garner support from the country in light of the U.S. government's stance on the JCPOA. Zarif himself stated before his trip to India that he plans to discuss the JCPOA, the U.S. withdrawal from this international agreement, and cooperation between the two countries to expand economic and trade relations. He described this trip as a continuation of Iran's consultations with its 'political and economic partners' and added that meetings with various countries regarding the JCPOA will continue. Following the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic regarding the necessity of 'practical guarantees' from Europeans to secure Iran's interests in remaining in the agreement, the Iranian Foreign Minister has traveled to China, Russia, and Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union. Hassan Rouhani also visited India last February, where he signed 15 cooperation agreements with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During Rouhani's visit, India took control of the first phase of the Chabahar port for 18 months and committed to starting development operations at the port soon. New Delhi has pledged a $500 million investment for the development of Iran's Chabahar port. The Iranian news agency IRNA also quoted an Indian newspaper stating that Zarif's trip to India, given the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, 'will be effective in securing the interests of Iran and India in the Chabahar port.'