Washington, September 20 - Neftegaz.RU. India is likely to resist the American pressure on complying with the reimposed Iranian sanctions as it has been a traditional policy of New Delhi to enforce only UNSC-authorised sanctions, a Congressional report has told lawmakers.
The Trump administration has threatened entities and countries with consequences if they do not bring down their import of Iranian oil to zero by November 4.
India, one of the biggest importers of Iranian oil, is unlikely to do so given its huge energy needs. The Trump administration is currently in talks with India on issues related to Iranian sanctions.
«India's position has generally been that it will only enforce sanctions authorised by UN Security Council resolutions, rendering it likely that India will resist US efforts to compel it to comply with reimposed US sanctions such as those that mandate cuts in oil purchases from Iran,» the independent Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in its latest report on Iran.
India has increased oil purchases from Iran to nearly pre-2012 levels after sanctions were lifted, and in May 2016 India agreed to transfer to Iran about $6.5 billion that it owed for Iranian oil shipments but which was held up for payment due to sanctions, it said.
«India has long sought to develop Iran's Chabahar port, which would give India direct access to Afghanistan and Central Asia without relying on transit routes through Pakistan,» the report said.
The CRS report said that during a visit to India in June 2018, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the Trump administration might consider providing exemptions to US sanctions to enable the Chabahar work to continue because the project is vital to Afghanistan's development and reducing its dependence on Pakistan.
The US, which is renewing sanctions on Iran, reimposed some of the financial sanctions from August 6, while those affecting Iran's petroleum sector will come into effect from November 4.
