Following the US administration granting India a 30-day waiver on certain trade tariffs, actor-politician Kamal Haasan strongly reacted, addressing an open letter to Donald Trump. Taking to X, he directly wrote, “The President of the United States of America @POTUS,” before asserting that India is a sovereign nation that does not take orders from foreign powers.
In his message, Kamal added, “We, the people of India, belong to a free and sovereign nation. We no longer take orders from distant foreign shores.” He also urged Trump to “mind your own business to the best of your abilities,” stressing that mutual respect between sovereign nations is the only foundation for lasting global peace. Calling himself a proud Indian citizen, he concluded by wishing the United States and its people peace and prosperity.
The temporary 30-day waiver for Indian refineries comes amid fears of rising global energy prices as tensions between Iran, the US, and Israel continue to escalate across the Gulf region. The exemption, announced by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, allows India limited breathing room to manage existing oil shipments. However, he also indicated that Washington expects New Delhi to gradually increase purchases of American crude, writing on X that India is an “essential partner” and is anticipated to ramp up imports of US oil.
The waiver also comes at a time when the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel has severely disrupted global energy markets. Military strikes and retaliatory attacks across the Middle East have raised fears about the safety of oil routes, particularly the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes. Due to security risks, tanker traffic has slowed and some production and exports from the region have been curtailed, pushing global crude prices above $90 per barrel and intensifying concerns about energy shortages and inflation worldwide.
