US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he does not believe India and Iran are negotiating a new trade agreement, while warning countries against helping Tehran circumvent American sanctions.
Rubio made the remarks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
“Well, I don't think there's a trade deal between India and Iran,” Rubio said during an interview with The Brian Kilmeade Show. He acknowledged that countries formulate their own foreign policies and that many governments maintain diplomatic contacts with Tehran.
His comments came after Modi and Pezeshkian discussed bilateral relations, including expanding and diversifying trade between India and Iran. Their talks also focused heavily on the continuing conflict in West Asia and its impact on regional stability, maritime trade and energy security.
Modi stressed the need to ensure peace, freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers, while reiterating India's position that conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy rather than military action.
Pezeshkian, meanwhile, urged India to use its “extensive contacts” with different parties to encourage a return to negotiations. Tehran has maintained that dialogue remains the solution to the conflict while accusing the United States and Israel of obstructing efforts toward peace.
Rubio drew a distinction between diplomatic engagement with Iran and economic activity designed to bypass US sanctions.
He warned that countries should not help Tehran establish mechanisms to generate revenue outside the sanctions regime, arguing that such funds could support terrorism or Iran's nuclear programme. Countries that assist Iran in circumventing sanctions could themselves face US sanctions, he added.
The exchange highlights India's delicate position as it maintains longstanding ties with Iran while simultaneously expanding its strategic and economic relationship with the United States..
