The American Jewish Committee, in a letter to Ambassador Nirupama Rao, had said they were 'deeply troubled' by news reports of Indian efforts to intensify trade relations with Iran. Suman Guha Mozumder reports.
India owes Iran around $8.8 billion primarily on account of crude oil imports.
Any government support or incentive to help exporters deal with high freight and insurance costs is unlikely.
India and Iran on Monday decided to jointly combat terror, radicalism and cyber crime as the two strategic partners signed 12 agreements including a "milestone" pact on developing the key Chabahar port for which India will provide $500 million.
The increase in India's military spending was "mainly a result of growing personnel and operations costs" which made up almost 80 percent of the total military budget in 2023, the SIPRI report claimed.
After 20 months of hectic negotiations, Iran and six major powers have reached a historic deal to limit Teheran's nuclear programme in return for lifting of sanctions. Let's understand closely what the deal is all about.
Gold is an excellent asset class for diversification and should be included in all long-term portfolios.
Asserting that it will continue to engage Iran in bilateral economic activities, India on Thursday said any issue that Iran has with other parts of the world should not impede "legitimate economic interaction" of the two countries.
The US has slapped sanctions against a number of international companies and individuals for evading sanctions against Iran and for providing support for its contentious nuclear programme.
Geo-political reasons are to be blamed for spike in global oil prices, he says.
"Iran is an important neighbouring country on the other side of Pakistan. Iran is a major source of energy. It is the only route to have access to Central Asia and Afghanistan. It is a very important Gulf nation. We cannot undermine our ties with it"
"No matter how much I can respect what you did inside the pitch, those remarks about Iran culture, Iran national team and my players are a disgrace to football."
National security advisor Ajit Doval on Friday suggested that various central armed police forces of the country should have "jointness" and interoperability among themselves like the ongoing plan for the defence forces.
With developments like the Russia-China alliance and the rise of China in the Middle East, India's role has diminished though the India-Israel-US-UAE grouping may assume some importance in the future, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
India's voting pattern in the United Nations with regard to the Israel-Palestine conflict is lately marked by a calibrated distancing from Israel, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
At scaling back Tehran's nuclear programme and relieving the Islamic Republic from the sanctions
With the International Atomic Energy Agency weighing options to deal with Iran's nuclear programme, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the issue should be dealt with diplomatically as he discussed it with US President Barack Obama.
Contending that Iran was a 'threat to the international community', Richard Haass, president of US private think tank Council on Foreign Relations, said India should persuade the Persian country to give up its nuclear programme as it is in New Delhi's own interest. His comments came when referred to India's strong assertion that it does not need 'any guidance' from the US on its dealings with Iran.
Rouhani, who is on his maiden visit, will meet President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday and will discuss cooperation on regional and international issues of mutual concern.
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Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said Monday that India has unambiguously said it's against Iran developing or acquiring nuclear weapons and that if the United Nations Security Council slaps sanctions against Tehran, it would support such action, but hoped United States President Obama's outreach to Iran on this issue would yield a compromise that doesn't necessitate such an outcome.
The agency had received Rs 946.51 crore to manage its affairs in the Budget Estimates for 2023-24, which was later increased to Rs 968.86 crore in the Revised Estimates.
Highly tilted trade relations in favour of Iran, supply of oil and gas and other key strategic bilateral and international issues, including Syria, are expected to dominate the meetings of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran.
"Such a slogan is not a political decision you can choose to take. It is about human rights and they are universal and binding around the world," Neuendorf said.
Hassan Rouhani, a moderate cleric who was a surprise winner in the recent elections, took oath on Sunday as Iran's seventh president at a ceremony attended by a galaxy of world leaders, including Vice President Hamid Ansari, with which he has pledged to expand ties.
Iran's foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna during his two-day visit to India. Mottaki, who has frequently been in the news for defending Iran's controversial nuclear agenda, told a TV channel during an interview, "Leaders of India are looking for a new chapter of co-operation and relation with Iran and that is a constructive signal."
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki will undertake a three-day visit to New Delhi next week during which issues related to Iran's controversial nuclear programme and the proposed tri-nation gas pipeline are expected to dominate.
The ministry of finance is likely to assume crude oil price to remain within $85 per barrel while estimating subsidies for the Interim Budget 2024-25 (FY25), to be presented on February 1. Brent crude prices moved up on Thursday, ending at $78.9 per barrel. Crude oil and cooking gas prices, which move in tandem, impact fertiliser and cooking gas subsidies, constituting 53 per cent of the government's total subsidies.
Official sources said the two leaders will meet for around four to six hours for the 'agendaless' talks
The first World Cup in the Middle East has been anything but insulated from the troubles of the volatile region, set against a backdrop of anti-government protests in Iran and an upsurge in Israeli-Palestinian violence.
With his visit to Saudi Arabia, Dr Singh has re-emphasised that when it comes to the Gulf, Iran will not be the focus of Indian foreign policy.
The powerful United Nations Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution that endorses the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers.
According to officials, the Indian Navy has opened an investigation into whether the drone used to attack the vessel was launched from long range or from a nearby vessel.
Trump congratulated Modi on his election victory and said that the two countries would work together in many areas including military.
'Victims of terrorism do not sit together with its perpetrators to discuss terrorism.'
United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday said he has "deep concerns" over elections in Iran, but given the nature of relationship between the two countries, he does not want to appear to be "meddling" into its affairs.
"We hope that India, as well as all other states -- China, Russia, France, Britain and Japan -- will diminish their economic relations with Iran," US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said.
India has been eyeing deeper energy ties with Iran and has already lined up $20 billion as investment in oil and gas as well as in petrochemical and fertiliser sectors there.
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