Expect few waivers, US to Iran oil buyers
WASHINGTON: A top Trump administration official has warned buyers of Iranian crude such as India that they should not expect easy and frequent waivers and exemptions from the second wave of US sanctions that kicks in on November 5 targeting Iranian oil, ports and banking sectors.
“This is not the Obama administration … is my message to them (the importers),” US national security advisor John Bolton said on Thursday at a briefing on the administration’s strategy to keep maximum pressure on Iran.
The latest threat comes despite India conveying to the Trump administration that it is a fit case for a presidential waiver from the sanctions on trade with Iran. “The frequency and the ease of getting waivers and exemptions is not going to be our policy,” the NSA said. The Obama administration had allowed large importers of Iranian crude such as India, Japan and South Korea to cut their purchases gradually and verifiably every six months to avoid sanctions. The goal was to wean them away from Iranian oil and give them time to find other sources.
Bolton said he and other US officials have had meetings with senior Indian officials including his counterpart Ajit Doval, “where we made clear the views we have on trade with Iran”.
Last month, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said after meeting external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj at the UN that India is committed to buying Iranian oil and continuing the economic cooperation of the two countries.
India is the third largest buyer of crude oil from Iran, a long-time supplier with whom ties go deep. India plans to reduce its Iranian crude import to zero, but has not received any public notice from US about consequences of missing the November 4 deadline.