S.Jaishankar responds to US sanction threat over Chabahar deal with Iran, emphasizing its mutual advantages

May 15 :
Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar said on May.14 that the project will "benefit everyone" and that people shouldn't have a "narrow view" in response to the possibility of sanctions by the US against India following its agreement with Iran to operate the Chabahar Port. Some of the comments were visible to me. However, in my opinion, the key is to convey the message clearly and make people see how this (Chabahar Port) will benefit everyone. In reference to comments made by US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel on May 13, Jaishankar stated that there should not be any narrow perspective on the matter.

During a press briefing, Patel expressed his knowledge of the rumours that Iran and India had reached an agreement about the Chabahar port. "I will step aside and let the Indian government to address its foreign policy objectives in relation to the Chabahar Port and its bilateral ties with Iran. Regarding the US, I'll just state that sanctions against Iran are still in effect and will be enforced.

Nevertheless, Jaishankar emphasised that the United States had not historically held a negative stance towards Chabahar specifically. "The United States has never done this before. Looking at the US's stance on the Chabahar port reveals that they recognise the port's greater significance and are committed to making it work.

An ambitious multi-modal transport project called the International North-South Transport Corridor is set to use the Chabahar Port as its hub. This 7,200-km corridor will connect Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Central Asia, Russia, and Europe for the transportation of goods.

While visiting India in 2003, then-President Muhammad Khatami of Iran initiated discussions to expand the port. India spent one hundred million dollars on it in 2013. In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Iran, and before his 2016 visit, he signed a memorandum of understanding to continue developing the port.

The Western media's "negative coverage" of the Indian elections was another target of S. Jaishankar's criticism during the May 14 event.

The West does seek to exert its influence over us because, as many of its citizens believe, they have been the world's dominant power for the better part of seventy to eighty years.The West genuinely believes that it has had an impact on the globe for the past two centuries. How can you think someone who has been there would be so willing to let go of their old habits?

The reason why Western newspapers are "so negative on India?" he inquired.

Reason being, they perceive real India that does not quite match their idealised conception of the country. "When the Indian population feels otherwise, they are disturbed," the foreign minister said, adding that the rulers of the country desired a certain type of individuals to govern the country based on ideology or way of life.