Overview
- India’s foreign ministry confirmed the United States has provided a six-month exemption from sanctions for operations at Iran’s Chabahar port.
- The waiver lets India Ports Global Limited continue developing and operating the Shahid Beheshti terminal, sustaining humanitarian shipments to Afghanistan and trade links to Central Asia.
- The move follows the Trump administration’s September 29 revocation of the 2018 IFCA exception and subsequent OFAC wind-down guidance that had raised the risk of penalties.
- New Delhi’s May 2024 agreement gives India a decade of operating rights at Chabahar, and officials say the extension keeps investment commitments and port development on track.
- Officials noted that negotiations on a broader India–U.S. trade deal are continuing, and the port’s longer-term access will depend on future U.S. decisions.