Washington DC: United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he does not believe India and Iran are negotiating a bilateral trade agreement, noting that sovereign nations routinely maintain diplomatic channels with the government in Tehran. Rubio addressed the matter during an interview on Fox News Radio’s The Brian Kilmeade Show, responding directly to inquiries about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek.
Rubio acknowledged that every country formulates its own independent foreign policy and pointed out that several nations, including the United States in certain contexts, engage in discussions with Iranian representatives. However, he emphasized that the administration of President Donald Trump maintains an uncompromising stance against third-party nations helping Tehran bypass international economic restrictions.
The US Secretary of State issued a stern warning against establishing financial mechanisms that allow Tehran to generate state revenue. He noted that funds funnelled to the Iranian regime risk being diverted toward terrorism and nuclear development, cautioning that any nation facilitating such sanctions evasion could itself face secondary punitive measures from Washington.
