US state secretary Marco Rubio does not believe India and Iran are currently negotiating a trade deal. He made the assertion when asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ( SCO ) Summit in Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek.
“Well, I don’t think there’s a trade deal between India and Iran. “Met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek . Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India’s long-standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors.
Rubio said countries formulate their own foreign policies and noted that several nations maintain contact with the Iranian government. “I think what ultimately happens, though, is – and the President [Donald Trump] has been very clear – is no country should be helping Iran evade sanctions,” Rubio said. Modi, meanwhile, said India was committed to strengthening its long-standing ties with Iran and expanding bilateral trade. We want to expand and diversify our trade basket in the times to come,” PM Modi said on X following the meeting. The Prime Minister said the two leaders also discussed the situation in the region and India’s support for efforts aimed at securing lasting peace. The ministry of external affairs said the meeting was “fruitful” and said the leaders reviewed bilateral relations and recent developments in West Asia. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Modi repeated India’s consistent position that regional issues should be addressed through “dialogue and diplomacy”.
