'No Country Should Help': Rubio Says India-Iran Not Talking Trade, Warns Of Sanctions After PM Modi-Pezeshkian Meet

New Delhi: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said he did not think India and Iran were talking of a trade deal when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recently met, even as he warned of sanctioning the countries trying to "help" Tehran.

Rubio’s remarks came during an interview on The Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio in response to a question on the meeting PM Modi had with Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek. It was their first bilateral meeting since the outbreak of the Iran-US conflict in February.

"Well, I don’t think there’s a trade deal between India and Iran. Obviously, there are – countries all develop their own foreign policy, and many countries around the world talk to the Iranian regime,” Rubio said in response to a remark by Kilmeade that Modi and Pezeshkian appeared to set up a trade deal.

“I mean, we’ve met with elements of the Iranian regime as well, in terms of some of these discussions that have occurred and there’s been contact with them,” Rubio said.

The US Secretary of State said President Donald Trump has made it clear that no country should help Iran evade sanctions. “No country should be out there helping them create mechanisms by which they can generate revenue that they will then use to sponsor terrorism and try to build a nuclear weapon. And if countries decide to do that, then we’re going to have to sanction them too,” Rubio said.

In his meeting with Iranian President on August 31, PM Modi conveyed that India supports all efforts toward ending the conflict in West Asia and emphasised the importance of freedom of navigation and the protection of civilians and civil infrastructure in the region.

Modi also told the Iranian leader that New Delhi wants to "expand and diversify" the trade basket with Tehran in the "times to come." "Met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India’s long standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors," the prime minister said on social media.

"We want to expand and diversify our trade basket in the times to come. We had a discussion on the prevailing situation in the region. India will continue to support all efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace," he said.

Pezeshkian urged Modi to use India's extensive contacts with various parties to help them move away from the path of war and bloodshed and return to the path of dialogue and agreement, according to an Iranian readout.

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