The message has sent India's foreign policy mandarins struggling to balance relations with Trump Administration and Iran — where the country has strategic and energy interests.
Visiting US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who also holds a cabinet rank in Washington, had a tough message for India to join sanction regime against Iran. The message has sent India's foreign policy mandarins struggling to balance relations with Trump Administration and Iran — where the country has strategic and energy interests.
Addressing a gathering of strategic experts in New Delhi on Thursday, Haley minced no word while asking New Delhi to "rethink its relationship with Iran". She even described Iran as the next North Korea. Hailey claimed having a "constructive conversation" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi about cutting oil imports from the country and described Iran as a threat to world peace and security, claiming that India also recognises this threat.
Clarifying her remarks, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, Iran was a traditional partner having civilizational links with India and that India's stance has been conveyed to the US.
Haley earlier advised allies to rethink while choosing business partners. "I think as a friend, India should also decide if this is a country they want to continue doing business with," she said. She also admitted telling PM Modi to cut Iranian oil use. "There's a will, a political will from both sides to figure out how to make this work," she added.
"Prime Minister Modi very much understands where we are with Iran, he didn't question it, he didn't criticise it, he understood it and he also understands that (India's) relationship with the US is strong and important and needs to stay that way," said the US envoy.
Talking about the potential which US-India relations hold, she said: "no other partnership has the potential" like that of the US and India to ensure peace and stability in the region, adding India is a "vital strategic partner" of the US in the Indo-Pacific. Haley described the Singapore summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim as a "huge success" and thanked the international community for it. She said Kim agreed to negotiate only because of the pressure exerted by the international community with strong sanctions.
Maintaining that the US seeks a productive relationship with China, she, however, said her country doesn't share the same democratic values, thereby limiting this relationship. She said the US supports India's entry into the global nuclear club because India is a democracy and has a responsible leader.
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