Speaking at his book launch event in Kolkata on Wednesday, Jaishankar said, “I did see some of the remarks which were made, but I think it’s a question of communicating, convincing and getting people to understand, that this is actually for everyone’s benefit.I don’t think people should take a narrow view of it.”
“They (US) have not done so in the past. So, if you look at the US’ own attitude towards the port in Chabahar, the US has been appreciative of the fact that Chabahar has a larger relevance…we will work at it,” he added.
This came after the the US State Department on Tuesday said that that anyone considering business deals with Iran, needs to be aware of “the potential risk that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions”.
“We’re aware of these reports that Iran and India have signed a deal concerning the Chabahar port. I will let Govt of India speak to its own foreign policy goals vis-a-vis the Chabahar port as well as its own bilateral relationship with Iran,” state department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said.
“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,” he added.
India and Iran on Monday sealed a 10-year agreement to jointly develop and manage the Chabahar port in order to develop the strategic and economic cooperation.
Under the agreement, India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) committed to investing $370 million to enhance the port’s infrastructure. This includes acquiring strategic equipment and expanding the transport facilities, essential for transforming Chabahar into a dynamic regional hub for trade transit.