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The decision of the Trump administration, which had once imposed the toughest sanctions on Iran and provided for very restrictive exemptions, is seen as a recognition by Washington of the role played by India in the development of the Gulf of Oman port, which is of immense strategic importance for the development of a war torn Afghanistan.
"After a thorough review, the Secretary of State has provided an exception to the application of certain sanctions under the 2012 Law on Freedom and Proliferation in Iran, with regard to the Chabahar port development, construction of an associated railway and shipping as well as continued imports of Iranian oil products by the country, "said a spokesman for the State Department .
The United States on Monday imposed the "toughest sanctions" on a defiant Iran to change the "behavior" of the Iranian regime. The sanctions cover the Iranian banking and energy sectors and reinstate the sanctions applicable to countries and companies in Europe, Asia and other countries that do not stop Iranian oil imports.
However, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that eight countries – India, China, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey – had been temporarily allowed to continue buying Iranian oil to the extent where they showed a "significant reduction" in Gulf country purchases.
To a question about the fate of the port of Chabahar after the United States reimposed all their sanctions on Iran, the spokesman said: "This exception relates to aid for reconstruction and development These activities are vital for the current support to Afghanistan's growth. "
In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had signed a pact providing for the creation of a transit and transport corridor between the three countries using the port of Chabahar as the One of the regional shipping hubs in Iran, in addition to the multimodal transport of goods and passengers across the country. the three nations.
Pompeo's decision to grant India an exemption from the application of certain sanctions for port development stems from the South Asian strategy, announced by President Donald Trump in August. He says India plays a major role in consolidating peace and development in Afghanistan.
"The President's strategy for South Asia underscores our continued support for Afghanistan's economic growth and development, as well as our close partnership with India," said the spokesman. from the state department.
"We seek to strengthen our close relations with both countries as we apply a policy of maximum pressure to change the destabilizing policies of the Iranian regime in the region and beyond," the spokesman added.
