‘Waiting further clarification’: US envoy on Chabahar Port sanctions; says Iran exports terrorism

US envoy to India, Ambassador Eric Garcetti, said that Iran is a force for exporting a “lot of bad things” and that anyone who engages with them business-wise should be aware of the risk of sanctions that come along. Garcetti said that the India mission is awaiting further clarification on the sanctions comment that US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel made on the Chabahar Port deal between India and Iran. 

In an exclusive interview with AajTak - India Today, Garcetti said, “We're awaiting some further clarification on those comments itself. But one thing is clear, we know that Iran has been a force for terrorism, a force for exporting a lot of bad things, not just in the Middle East, but other places. And we've been very consistent.”  

He said sanctions are in place with some rare exceptions, where there’s a strategic interest. “So we'll wait for further clarification. But most businesses should be aware of those risks of interacting with Iran as it exports terrorism, as it directly attacks another sovereign nation, as we saw recently. And that should be a concern to all of us. We certainly want to see a region surrounding India that is stable, that is democratic, and that adheres to the rule of law, and certainly does not export terrorism. And I think that's a shared concern.” he said. 

Garcetti’s statement comes after Patel said during a briefing that any entity or anyone considering business deals with Iran should be aware of the potential risk of sanctions. He had said that US sanctions on Iran are in place and Washington DC would continue to enforce them. 

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in an event in Kolkata on Tuesday, said that people should not have a narrow view of the Chabahar Port deal, and it all boils down to ‘communicating, convincing and getting people to understand’. He said the US too, in the past, has been appreciative of the fact that Chabahar has a larger relevance. 

INDIA-IRAN’S CHABAHAR PORT PACT

On Monday, India signed a 10-year contract to operate the Iranian port of Chabahar to expand trade in Central Asia. India proposed to develop the port in 2003 so that it provides a gateway to reach landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia using a road and rail project called International North-South Transport Corridor, bypassing Pakistan. However, the US sanctions had slowed down the development of the port.

Indian Ports Global Limited (IPGL) will invest about $120 million while another $250 million will be raised as debt. The new pact replaces the initial 2016 pact that covered India’s operations at Shahid Beheshti terminal in Chabahar port, renewed on an annual basis. 

According to  Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Chabahar Port is not only the closest Iranian port to India but also an excellent port from a nautical point of view. India aims to bypass Pakistan and establish direct access to Afghanistan and beyond, into Central Asia.