New Delhi, May 14: Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has on Tuesday held talks with Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi to discuss escalated diplomatic tensions between the United States and Iran.
According to ANI news reports, the meeting between the two sides’ foreign ministers has come amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Washington and Tehran after President Donald Trump announced on April 22 no fresh sanction waivers to eight nations, including India, will be issued for Iranian crude oil imports.
Zarif, who embarked on an official two-day visit to India, has stated the US was attempting to escalate tensions “unnecessarily”.
Soon after his arrival in New Delhi, Zarif had told ANI, “Unfortunately, the United States has been escalating the situation unnecessarily. We do not seek escalation but we have always defended ourselves.”
After the US president’s announcement, India who is the second largest consumer of Iranian crude oil after China, has stated it was prepared, adequately, to deal with any impact of the US decision to end sanction waiver.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has on Sunday said the country could see that economic conditions are getting worse than ever, in fact, worse than what prevailed during the 1980-88 civil war with Iraq, rising due to “unprecedented pressure” from international sanctions.
Also read: Iran denounces US Trump’ decision ending sanctions waivers, terming it ‘principally illegal’
In an official statement which was issued on Iranian foreign ministry’s official website, it cited: “Since the sanction in question are principally illegal, the Islamic Republic of Iran did not and does not attach any value or credibility to the waivers given to the sanctions.”
Also read: India ready to deal with impact of US’ decision ending sanctions waivers on Iran’ oil imports: MEA
India has on Tuesday stated the government has underlined the United States decision to end sanction waiver to those nations importing Iranian crude oil and that it is “adequately prepared to deal” with the impact.