No US sanctions on Chabahar Port in Iran for 6 more months, says MEA: Why it matters

The United States has granted India a six-month exemption from American sanctions on the Chabahar Port in Iran, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Thursday.

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was responding to a question on whether the Chabahar Port would be exempted from the snapback sanctions that the US imposed on Iran at the end of September.

"On your question regarding exemption for Chabahar: yes, I can confirm that we have been granted exemption for a six-month period on the ... American sanctions that were applicable on Chabahar," Jaiswal said.

The decision to renew the US sanctions waiver on Chabahar comes after intense negotiations between New Delhi and Washington, as the previous sanctions waiver was scheduled to expire on September 29. 

Located along the Gulf of Oman, this port—an important part of the International North-South Transport Corridor—is a vital trade link for India with Afghanistan, Central Asia, and parts of Russia. Its strategic position ensures this link is able to circumvent Pakistan's waters as well. India has also used this port to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in the past.

This comes as a big relief for India, which can now continue its operations at the Chabahar Port's Shahid Beheshti Terminal, which it manages under a ten-year agreement (signed in 2024) between India Ports Global Limited (IPGL), a public sector firm, and Iran's Ports and Maritime Organisation (PMO).

In a separate question about India-US ties, Jaiswal said that New Delhi continued to value its "comprehensive global strategic partnership" with Washington.

However, he has also said—in response to a question about New Delhi's purchase of Moscow's energy—that India was studying the implications of recent US sanctions on Russian oil companies.

“Our decisions naturally take into account evolving dynamics of global oil market," he added.

Maritime