PM Modi meets Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian as Washington watches bilateral ties closely (Img: X)
Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, saying he does not believe India and Iran are currently negotiating any trade deal.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where they discussed bilateral relations, trade expansion, regional developments and the situation in West Asia.
Speaking on a Show, Rubio was asked whether India and Iran were moving towards a new trade arrangement following Modi and Pezeshkian’s meeting.
“I don’t think there’s a trade deal between India and Iran,” Rubio said, adding that countries have their own foreign policies and many nations continue to engage with Iran.
However, the US Secretary of State warned that countries should not help Tehran bypass American sanctions or create financial channels that could generate revenue for Iran.
Rubio said nations facilitating such mechanisms could face US sanctions themselves, reiterating the Trump administration’s tough stance on Iran.
During the SCO meeting, Prime Minister Modi said India remains committed to strengthening its long-standing friendship with Iran and expanding bilateral trade.
“Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India's long-standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors. We want to expand and diversify our trade basket,” Modi said.
The two leaders also discussed the ongoing tensions in West Asia, freedom of navigation, safety of commercial shipping and the need for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve regional issues.
The Ministry of External Affairs said the meeting was focused on reviewing bilateral relations and recent developments in the region.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India continues to support dialogue and peaceful solutions while emphasising stability and security in West Asia.
The meeting comes at a time when Iran faces increasing pressure from the US over sanctions and regional tensions, making India’s diplomatic engagement with Tehran a closely watched development globally.
