India studying effect of U.S. withdrawal from Iran deal

India will safeguard its interest following the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

India has maintained that peaceful negotiations should be carried out to resolve the situation that has risen after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew his country from the deal. Russia, China, the U.K., Germany, Italy and France are the other signatories to the deal.

“We are closely monitoring the developments. We are assessing the implications this might have on our interests. The government will take all necessary measures to safeguard our interests,” said MEA official spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. He said it was too early to come to a full understanding of the situation that arose after the U.S. withdrawal from the deal.

Fear of stricter sanctions

India’s statement came in the backdrop of the possibility of stricter sanctions on Iran by the U.S. government.

However, officials indicated that India is awaiting the final outcome of the discussions that Iran will hold in the next few days with other partner-countries. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said he would undertake discussions with other partner-countries if they can save the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action following Mr. Trump’s move. It is not yet clear if Mr. Zarif will also visit India given the close cooperation that exists between New Delhi and Tehran.

The spokesperson said India would take necessary steps in case the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA were to impact Indian projects in the port of Chabahar where India is involved in upgrading and developing infrastructure. The future of India’s work at the port would depend on how strictly the U.S. implements sanctions on countries that maintain business ties with Tehran.