*NEW DELHI: US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told India’sPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday it was important India cut itsdependence on Iranian oil and said the United States would work to allowIndia to use an Iranian port as corridor to Afghanistan.*
“Sanctions are coming (on Iran) and we’re going forward on that, and withIndia and the U.S. building strong relationships we hoped that they wouldlessen their dependence on Iran,” Haley, a member of U.S. President DonaldTrump’s cabinet, told two reporters after her meeting with Modi in NewDelhi.
The United States said on Tuesday it has told countries to cut all importsof Iranian oil from November and is unlikely to offer any exemptions as theTrump administration ramps up pressure on allies to cut off funding to Iran.
India is one of the largest importers of Iran’s oil.
“There’s a will, a political will, from both sides to figure out how tomake this work,” Haley said. “Prime Minister Modi very much understandswhere we are with Iran, he didn’t question it, he didn’t criticize it, heunderstood it and he also understands that (India’s) relationship with theU.S. is strong and important and needs to stay that way.”
The U.S. push to curb countries’ imports of Iranian oil comes after Trumpin May withdrew from a 2015 deal between Iran and six world powers aimed atstalling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities in return for the lifting of somesanctions. Trump ordered the reimposition of U.S. sanctions that weresuspended under the accord.
Haley said the implications of Iran-related sanctions would be discussedwhen the foreign and defense ministers of India and the United States meetshortly. Japan and South Korea, also major buyers of Iranian oil, are intalks with the U.S. government in a bid to avoid the adverse effects ofsanctions.*‘PORT HAS TO HAPPEN’*
Haley said she also discussed with Modi the Indian-backed Chabahar portcomplex in Iran, being developed as part of a new transportation corridorfor landlocked Afghanistan and which could open the way for millions ofdollars in trade and cut Afghanistan’s dependence on neighboring Pakistan.
“We know the port has to happen and the U.S. is going to work with India todo that,” Haley said. “We know that they’re being a great partner with usin Afghanistan and really trying to assist the U.S. and trying to do more.The port’s vital in trying to do that.”
“We realize we’re threading a needle when we do that,” said Haley,describing a balancing act of ensuring Indian use of the port in Iran whileWashington is at the same time trying to once again cut Tehran off frominternational markets.
Haley has used her role at the U.N. to regularly attack and ramp uppressure on Iran, accusing it of meddling in Syria and Yemen. She said shespoke with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo early on Wednesday, beforemeeting with Modi.
Despite rising trade tensions between the United States and India, Haley –the daughter of Indian immigrants – said “the idea of a trade war wasn’teven an option.”
Bilateral trade rose to $115 billion in 2016, but the Trump administrationwants to narrow its $31 billion deficit with India, and is pressing NewDelhi to ease trade barriers.
Haley said she also discussed military cooperation with Modi as the Trumpadministration has launched an effort to deepen military and economic tieswith India as a way to balance China’s assertive posture across Asia.