WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said he did not think India and Iran were engaged in discussions over a trade agreement, while cautioning countries against helping Tehran circumvent US sanctions.
Rubio's statement came amid reports suggesting that New Delhi and Tehran may be moving closer to a trade deal following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Iranian President Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek.
"Well, I don't think there's a trade deal between India and Iran," Rubio said during an interview on The Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio.
Rubio said US President Donald Trump had made Washington’s stance clear, stressing that countries should not assist Iran in finding ways to circumvent US sanctions.
“No country should be out there helping them create mechanisms by which they can generate revenue that they will then use to sponsor terrorism and try to build a nuclear weapon. And if countries decide to do that, then we’re going to have to sanction them too,” Rubio added.
During the meeting, PM Modi told the Iranian leader that New Delhi wants to "expand and diversify" the trade basket with Tehran in the "times to come."
"Met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India’s long-standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors. We want to expand and diversify our trade basket in the times to come," PM Modi had posted on X on Monday.
"We had a discussion on the prevailing situation in the region. India will continue to support all efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace," PM Modi added.
