End oil imports from Iran or face sanctions: US to India

Washington: The US has told India and other countries to cut oil imports from Iran to “zero” by November 4 or face sanctions, making it clear that there would be no waivers to anyone.

Iran is India's third-largest oil supplier behind Iraq and Saudi Arabia and supplied 18.4 million tonnes of crude oil during April 2017 and January 2018.

Last month President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the landmark Iran nuclear deal, re-imposing US sanctions that had been suspended in return for curbs on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Now, Washington is stepping up pressure on all countries, including India and China, to completely stop buying oil from Iran. If they don’t, a US official said, Indian and Chinese companies would be subject to the same sanctions as those in other countries.