The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said that India is studying the implications of the US government's decision to revoke the sanctions waiver for the Chabahar Port project in Iran. The US government's decision for revocation comes as a threat to India's most critical connectivity in Iran.
"We have seen the US press statement regarding the revocation of the sanctions waiver for Chabahar Port. We are presently examining its implications for India," the MEA said.
The waiver that was granted in 2018, granted India the freedom to develop and operate the Chabahar Port without running afoul of US sanctions on Iran. Since then, the port has been at the centre of all the plans that India has made to establish a direct trade route to Central Asia and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.
The Trump administration earlier announced that the waiver will be withdrawn with effect from 29 September. The US said that the withdrawal will come as part of Washington's "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran over suspicions of its nuclear programme.
“Once the revocation is effective, persons who operate the Chabahar Port or engage in other activities described in IFCA (Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act) may expose themselves to sanctions under IFCA," the US State Department said.
Meanwhile, the MEA on Friday also spoke about the defence pact between India and Pakistan. MEA said India shares a “wide-ranging strategic partnership” with Saudi Arabia, one that has deepened considerably in the last few years.
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