Trump Administration’s twin moves come even as the US and India just restarted negotiations for a trade deal amid strain in ties.
Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday moved to make it difficult for India to continue its role in the operations of the Chabahar Port in Iran, even as the United States embassy in New Delhi revoked and subsequently denied visas for “certain business executives and corporate leadership” of India for their alleged involvement in trafficking fentanyl precursors.
The back-to-back moves by Washington, D.C., came even as the exchange of positive vibes between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently led to the restart of negotiations for a trade deal between the two nations, even as the US president’s 50% tariff on all imports from India strained the bilateral relations.
In keeping with Trump’s policy to exert “maximum pressure” on Iran, his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has revoked the sanctions exception issued in 2018 under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act (IFCA) for assistance for reconstruction and economic development of Afghanistan, with effect from September 29 next.
