No takers for Trump’s hard stance on Iran

By pulling out of the US-Iran nuclear deal and deciding to re-impose sanctions against Iran, US President Donald Trump has set the clock back on peace moves in the region initiated by his predecessor Barack Obama. After the repudiation of the climate deal soon after he took office, this is Trump’s second big move that strikes at the root of US credibility. Trump’s decision raises the risk of deepening conflicts in West Asia, puts the US at odds with European diplomatic and business interests and injects new uncertainty over global oil supplies.

For India, too, the US withdrawal from the accord with Teheran is a blow as it is for many countries in Europe. India’s ties with Iran have been on the upswing especially the close collaboration on India’s active role in the Chabahar port project which was conceived as a counterpoise to the development of the Gwadar port in Pakistan by China to facilitate Chinese and Pakistani exports. The Indian dependence on Iranian oil (Iran is India’s third largest supplier of crude oil after Iraq and Saudi Arabia) is also a factor in this country’s ties. Bilateral trade between the two nations has increased to 12.9 billion dollars in 2016-17 from US$9 billion in the previous year. India would indeed have to remain steadfast in its Iran deals and not succumb to US pressures in its enlightened self-interest.