ISLAMABAD – Iran Chabahar Port developed by India 90 km from theChina-sponsored Gwadar port in Pakistan, opens a transit route to Iran andAfghanistan that will also give India access to markets in Central Asia.New Delhi has committed $500 million to the strategically important portthat bypasses Pakistan.

Officials said Delhi would wait to see the fallout of US sanctions on theproject. Before making a midterm or a long-term assessment, India wouldalso keep an eye on how the other five countries, who were party to thepact, deal with the situation.

Officials said they were in the process of firming up the arrangement forpicking the Indian company that will manage, operate and maintain thecontainer and multipurpose terminals for 10 years.

The process is already behind schedule because the three Indian firmsshortlisted in the technical bid stayed away from financial bidding.

“We are now revisiting the tender guidelines after which a fresh tenderwill be issued” said a government official who didn’t want to be named. Asper the agreement, Tehran will lease operational control of the port toIndia for 18 months. India will equip and operate two terminals in firstphase on a 10-year lease.

Officials, however, warned that Trump administration could prevent foreigncountries from accessing the US market. Before the 2015 deal, Washingtonused to sanction foreign firms that deal with the Iran Central Bank.

The sanctions could impede completion of the Chabahar port, strategicaffairs expert Brahma Chellaney has said. A day after he dumped the deal,US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday a new round of sanctions wascoming. The deal lifted sanctions on Iran in return for Tehran limiting itsnuclear programme.