US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said he did not believe India and Iran were currently working on a trade agreement, while warning countries against helping Tehran circumvent US sanctions.
Rubio's remarks came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek. The meeting had raised questions over whether New Delhi and Tehran could be moving towards expanding their trade ties.
Asked about the Modi-Pezeshkian meeting during an interview on The Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio, Rubio said, "Well, I don't think there's a trade deal between India and Iran."
Marco Rubio warns against helping Iran bypass US sanctions
Rubio said US President Donald Trump had made Washington's position clear and cautioned countries against creating mechanisms that could help Iran generate revenue in violation of US sanctions.
"No country should be out there helping them create mechanisms by which they can generate revenue that they will then use to sponsor terrorism and try to build a nuclear weapon," Rubio said.
He added that countries that assist Iran in circumventing US sanctions could themselves face penalties from Washington.
"And if countries decide to do that, then we're going to have to sanction them too," Rubio said.
What did PM Modi tell Pezeshkian?
During his meeting with Pezeshkian, Modi said India wanted to strengthen its longstanding relationship with Iran and expand and diversify bilateral trade.
"Met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India's long-standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors. We want to expand and diversify our trade basket in the times to come," Modi said in a post on X on Monday.
The prime minister also said the two leaders discussed the prevailing situation in the region.
"India will continue to support all efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace," Modi said.
The meeting took place amid continuing tensions in West Asia and heightened international scrutiny of Iran's economic and diplomatic ties.
India-Iran ties amid US sanctions
India has maintained longstanding ties with Iran, including cooperation in areas such as connectivity, energy and trade. New Delhi has also consistently maintained that its engagement with countries is guided by its national interests.
Rubio's comments highlight the tension between Washington's sanctions policy towards Tehran and the economic and strategic interests of countries that maintain relations with Iran.
While Modi's comments pointed to an intention to expand and diversify India's trade relationship with Tehran, Rubio said he was not aware of an India-Iran trade deal currently being negotiated.
The two countries are also expected to continue engaging through multilateral platforms such as the SCO and BRICS.
