India won't cut oil import from Iran: Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif

Amid speculations that US sanctions on Iran may impact India's energy and connectivity plans, Iran has said that it has got assurances from India that it won't cut oil imports from the country.

Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif said, "Our Indian friends have always been categorical in terms of there intention to continue economic cooperation and import of oil from Iran. Heard the same statement from my counterpart."India is the 2nd largest buyer of oil from Iran.

Iran's FM had met India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly or UNGA meet in New York.

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Calling Iran as a reliable source of energy, Zarif said, "We have comprehensive cooperation with India including energy cooperation."

In a media briefing later, Ministry of external affair's spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "India remains engaged with all stakeholders who are a part of the process, Iran is one of them. So it was natural the issue of sanctions did come up during the meeting. We shared each others' position about where we stand at this point in time".

India has been talking to the US on the issue and has sensitized Washington of it sensitivities & expectations.

The issue was also raised during the recent 2+2 dialogue between the Foreign Ministers and Defence ministers of the 2 countries in Delhi.

The US sanctions that kick off on November 5could not only impact India's oil import from the west Asian country but could also impact crucial Chabahar port that links India with Afghanistan and rest of the central Asian countries.

Chabahar is a crucial link between north-south transport corridor that links Mumbai with Moscow and India's answer to Gwadar port in Pakistan which is part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Lauding the "good cooperation" in shipping and transportation, India and Iran have Zarif said "Indian presence in Chabahar is very important" and hoped
"India and other investors would come to Chabahar and invest for expansion of the port facility." Indian shipments to Afghanistan have already gone through Chabahar.

But US president Donald Trump plans to continue pressuring Iran. At his United Nations general assembly speech, he said, "we’re working with countries that import Iranian crude oil to cut their purchases substantially." He also said that more sanction will be slapped on Tehran soon.

When asked about the speech made by US president on Iran at the United Nations security council, Iranian FM quipped, it was a "theatre which didn't show success but showed isolation" of US.

Interestingly on September 26, India's national security advisor Ajit Doval travelled to Tehran to take part in an NSA Meet in which National Security Council/Deputy Minister of Security from Afghanistan, China, Iran and Russia were also present.