Rubio Issues Sanctions Warning To Nations Supporting Iran Post PM Modi-Pezeshkian Meet

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has dismissed suggestions that India was moving toward a trade agreement with Iran following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Speaking on The Brian Kilmeade Show, Rubio addressed reports suggesting New Delhi and Tehran were moving closer to a formal trade arrangement following the bilateral meeting between the two leaders.

"Well, I don't think there's a trade deal between India and Iran," Rubio said, while acknowledging that sovereign nations, including India, maintain the right to pursue their own independent foreign policies. He noted that numerous countries around the world continue to maintain diplomatic contact with the Iranian government, adding that Washington itself had engaged with elements of the Iranian regime as part of various ongoing discussions. "Obviously, there are — countries all develop their own foreign policy, and many countries around the world talk to the Iranian regime," he said, noting that the US had also had contact with Iranian representatives in certain contexts.

Despite this acknowledgment, Rubio issued a firm warning regarding any efforts by other nations to help Iran circumvent existing US sanctions. He reiterated President Donald Trump's earlier position that no country should assist Tehran in evading sanctions or in establishing mechanisms to generate revenue that could later be used to fund what he described as terrorism or efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. "I think what ultimately happens, though, is — and the President's been very clear — is no country should be helping Iran evade sanctions," Rubio said, warning that any nation found to be assisting Iran in this manner could itself become subject to US sanctions.

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The remarks followed Monday's meeting between Modi and Pezeshkian in Bishkek, their first direct engagement since the outbreak of the ongoing US-Iran war, a conflict that has disrupted global supply chains and contributed to a sharp rise in crude oil prices. During the meeting, Modi reiterated India's commitment to strengthening its long-standing relationship with Iran, expressing a desire to expand and diversify the countries' bilateral trade basket in the years ahead. He also reaffirmed India's support for diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace in West Asia, while President Pezeshkian reportedly urged Modi to use India's broad diplomatic contacts to help facilitate an end to the ongoing conflict in the region.

India's Ministry of External Affairs described the meeting as "fruitful," with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noting that Modi had reiterated India's position that regional disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy rather than continued military confrontation. Modi also confirmed that he looks forward to hosting Pezeshkian in New Delhi later this month, with Iran's president expected to attend the upcoming BRICS Summit scheduled to take place in the Indian capital from September 12 to 13, providing a further opportunity for continued high-level engagement between the two nations. Rubio's remarks come against the backdrop of broader tensions surrounding India's foreign policy choices amid ongoing US pressure related to sanctions on both Iran and Russia, underscoring the complex balancing act New Delhi continues to navigate between its strategic partnership with Washington and its long-standing ties with Tehran.

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