New Delhi: Six days after the Trump administration’s order cast doubt on the continuation of the Chabahar port sanctions waiver, India said on Monday (February 10) that the strategic Iranian port has demonstrated its “strong potential” for enhancing connectivity to Afghanistan and Central Asia in recent years.
Last week on Feb 4, the US President signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum to start a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran by announcing a slew of measures, claiming that his aim was that Tehran should not have a nuclear weapons.
One of the provisions in the memo was that the US secretary of state “shall modify or rescind sanctions waivers, particularly those that provide Iran any degree of economic or financial relief, including those related to Iran’s Chabahar port project”.
India has spent millions of dollars on developing the Chabahar port, which provide it with not only a foothold in the region but also a crucial trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan.
During Trump’s first term, the US imposed stringent sanctions on Iran to curb its crude oil sales but granted a “narrow waiver” for Chabahar port.
Till now, there had been no official reaction from New Delhi to the US presidential order.
However, on Monday night, a senior Ministry of External Affairs official reiterated India’s commitment to the port without directly addressing Washington’s move.
‘Chabahar’s development a significant milestone in India-Iran relations’
Speaking at an event marking Iran’s national day, MEA Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar said, “In the past years, the Chabahar port has proven its strong potential.”
“The port was conceptualised to provide much-needed alternate connectivity to Afghanistan for its reconstruction and economic development and to boost economic and trade linkages with Central Asian regions,” he said.
He described the signing of a long-term contract for Chabahar’s development in May last year as a “significant milestone” in India-Iran relations.
Mazumdar also highlighted the port’s role in facilitating humanitarian assistance, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Till date, the port has enabled the humanitarian supply of 2.51 million tons of wheat and 2,200 tons of assistance to Afghanistan,” he said.
He also reminded that India had dispatched 40,000 litres of pesticides to Iran through the port to help tackle the locusts crisis in 2021.
The Iranian ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi said in his speech that Iran’s nuclear program “has always been peaceful and follows international rules, with ongoing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)”.
“We believe in negotiation and diplomacy to address any questions about our nuclear activities. It was the United States that left the JCPOA, and European countries also did not meet their commitments,” he stated.
