The U.S. Calls for India to Reduce Its Dependency on Iranian Oil

The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations urged the Indian Prime Minister to reduce his country's dependency on Iranian oil, while Washington will work on allowing New Delhi to use an Iranian port as a transit point to Afghanistan. According to Reuters, Nikki Haley stated on Wednesday, July 6, after meeting with Narendra Modi in New Delhi, "Sanctions [against Iran] are on the way, and we are moving forward with them, and given the strong relationship between the United States, we hope they will reduce their dependency on Iranian oil." U.S. officials had reported a day before these statements that Washington had told various countries to end oil imports from Iran by November and would not grant exemptions to any country. India is one of the largest importers of Iranian oil. Haley further stated, "There is a political request between the parties on how to work on this issue. Prime Minister Modi is fully aware of our positions on Iran and did not ask any questions about it. He had no criticisms. He understood the situation just as he knows that the India-U.S. relationship is strong and it is necessary and appropriate for it to remain that way." The U.S. exited the nuclear deal with Iran in mid-May and announced that sanctions against the country would be reinstated. However, Nikki Haley mentioned that the details of the sanctions on Iran would be discussed in a meeting between U.S. and Indian defense ministers. Japan and South Korea, which are also major importers of Iranian oil, are in talks with the U.S. regarding the sanctions. Haley also indicated that she discussed the Chabahar port in Iran, which India supports developing. According to the Chabahar port development plan, this port will become a transit point to Afghanistan and could facilitate millions of dollars in trade, eliminating Afghanistan's dependency on its neighboring country, Pakistan. The U.S. Ambassador to the UN stated, "We are aware that this needs to happen regarding this port, and the United States will cooperate with India in this regard. We know they are a significant partner for us in Afghanistan and are really trying to help the United States. This port also plays a vital role in this regard." Iran claims that the U.S. has entered into an economic war against Tehran and is causing monetary instability in the country. Recently, Iran's national currency has significantly lost its value, reaching nearly 9,000 tomans per U.S. dollar. U.S. officials say Tehran spends its assets in countries like Syria and Yemen instead of using them for the Iranian people. The European Union continues to support the JCPOA, although some major European companies have announced they are cutting their business ties with Tehran. Turkey also emphasized on Wednesday that Washington's sanctions against Tehran are "not binding" and Ankara considers its own interests. Sources: Reuters and German news agencies.