US grants 6 months exemption to India from sanctions over use of Chabahar Port in Iran

By Anjali Sharma

WASHINGTON – US on Thursday has granted a 6 months exemption to India from sanctions on the Chabahar Port in Iran, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press statement issued.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have been granted exemption for 6 months period on American sanctions that were applicable on the port.”

He added that New Delhi is examining the implications that the exemption for the country.

The development is seen as a much needed relief to India as it allows the country to use the Chabahar Port it developed in Iran, a country that faces US sanctions over its nuclear program, media reported.

Trump administration, announced the revocation of its waiver of sanctions over the Iranian port of Chabahar terminated a special waiver granted to India in 2018.

According to the US Department of State, the operators of the Chabahar Port in Iran would face US sanctions begins September 29.

The order had stated “Additionally, consistent with President Trump’s maximum pressure policy to isolate the Iranian regime, the Secretary of State has revoked the sanctions exception issued in 2018 under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act for Afghanistan reconstruction assistance and economic development, effective September 29, 2025,”.

MEA stressed that the port in Iran is crucial for India as it allows New Delhi access to Afghanistan and central Asia bypassing Pakistan.