'Don't Take Narrow View Of It': S Jaishankar On US' Sanction Warning Over Chabahar Port Deal With Iran

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that the Chabahar Port in Iran will benefit the entire region and people should not take a "narrow view" of it.

His statement comes a day after the US warned of "potential risk of sanctions" after India signed a 10-year agreement for running the Chabahar Port in Iran.

Speaking at an interaction after the launch of the Bangla edition of his book 'Why Bharat Matters' in Kolkata, the minister mentioned that Washington had appreciated the larger relevance of Chabahar in the past.

When asked about the US' remarks, Mr 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.

On Monday, India signed a 10-year agreement to manage the vital Iranian port of Chabahar, a move aimed at bolstering trade ties with Central Asia. Situated in Iran's Sistan-Balochistan province along the energy-rich southern coast, Chabahar Port, a project initially proposed by New Delhi in 2003, offers Indian exports a direct route to landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia. This route utilizes the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), comprising road and rail networks, thereby circumventing Pakistan.

A day later, the US warned that "anyone" considering business deals with Tehran needs to be aware of the "potential risk of sanctions."

"I would just say...US sanctions on Iran remain in place and we will continue to enforce them," Vedant Patel, the US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson, said at the press briefing.

"Any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran, they need to be aware of the potential risk they are opening themselves up to, potential risk of sanctions," he added.

The External Affairs Minister stated that India's engagement with the project has been longstanding, yet the signing of a durable pact had been elusive until an essential development. He emphasized that New Delhi successfully resolved outstanding issues, paving the way for the signing of a long-term agreement that promises to yield benefits for the entire region.

"We have had a long association with the Chabahar Port, but we could never sign a long-term agreement. The reason was...there were various problems on the Iranian end...the joint-venture partner changes, the condition changed," the Foreign Minister added.

He added, "Finally, we were able to sort this out and we were able to get the long-term agreement done. The long-term agreement is necessary because without it you cannot really improve the port operation. And the port operation we believe, will benefit the entire region."