In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, the United States has granted India a six-month exemption from its sanctions on Iran, allowing New Delhi to continue developing and operating the Chabahar Port.
Located along Iran’s southeastern coast, Chabahar provides India with a vital gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. The waiver restores India’s access to a project considered key to its regional connectivity and trade strategy.
The decision follows sustained diplomatic engagement by New Delhi, which argued that the port supports humanitarian aid and regional stability. The US had earlier revoked the exemption as part of its “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran.
Officials said the temporary waiver offers India breathing space to deepen its development partnership in the Gulf of Oman while balancing ties with both Washington and Tehran. Analysts see it as a reaffirmation of India’s strategic autonomy and its role as a stabilising regional power.
