After Iran and India inked a 10-year agreement regarding the operation of the Chabahar Port, the US Department of State's Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel warned on Monday of sanctions against India if New Delhi moves forward with the Chabahar port deal with Iran.

In a press brief, Patel said, "So we’re aware of these reports that Iran and India have signed a deal concerning the Chabahar port," adding, "I will just say, as it relates to the United States, US sanctions on Iran remain in place and we’ll continue to enforce them."

It is worth noting that Patel further stressed that "any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran, they need to be aware of the potential risk that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions."

Exemption granted only when in favor of US interests

In 2016, officials from Afghanistan, Iran, and India signed multiple agreements that secured New Delhi's investment in the development of the Chabahar port project. This port, complemented by a railway project, facilitates the transport of Indian products to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan, where border closures frequently occur due to political tensions with both New Delhi and Kabul. At the time, the US exempted India from sanctions over the deal with Iran.

Even in 2018, when the US exited the JCPOA and increased sanctions against Tehran, a US official stated that the Indian-supported Chabahar Port in southern Iran, situated on the Gulf of Oman, would be exempt from the latest US sanctions, allowing it to continue its operations and development.

In 2020, the US exited Afghanistan's Kabul under fire, and as such the development of Afghanistan no longer aligned with Washington's interests.

Yet on May 13, when asked, "So there’s not an exemption for this specifically?" Patel bluntly responded with a "No".

Read more: India, Iran sign 10-year agreement to develop strategic Chabahar port