New Delhi: Following reports that India had withdrawn from the Chabahar Port project in Iran due to alleged pressure from the US, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified on Thursday that the US had issued a letter to India granting an unconditional waiver from sanctions for the project until April 26.
Responding to a question on the Chabahar Port project, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “As you know, on October 28, 2025, the US Treasury Department issued a letter providing guidance on the unconditional waiver of sanctions, which is valid until April 26, 2026. We are engaged with the US side to work on this arrangement.”
The MEA’s statement comes at a time when opposition parties, including the Congress, are targeting the government over the issue. Congress Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera wrote in a post on X, “Chabahar is no ordinary port. It gives India a crucial, direct sea link to Afghanistan and Central Asia, allowing us to bypass Pakistan and counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative.”
Taking a dig at the ruling government, the senior Congress leader said, “Now to hear that India has backed out of Chabahar without any formalities at the first hint of US pressure shows a new low in this government’s foreign policy.”
Khera also questioned the central BJP government on the matter. He asked, “How long will the Indian government allow Washington to dictate our national interests? So the question is not about the Chabahar port or Russian oil. The question is why is Modi allowing the US to pressure India?”
Similarly, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also wrote on X, “India has almost pulled out of the Chabahar Port in Iran. Backing down to appease one country at the cost of its strategic interests.” Stating that the Chabahar port provides India with a sea-land access route to Afghanistan and Central Asia through Iran’s eastern borders, the MP said, “This project is considered a strategic venture to develop regional maritime transit traffic for Afghanistan and Central Asia.” Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has targeted the Congress party, accusing it of spreading lies on the matter.
Responding to a post by the opposition party accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of surrendering to US President Donald Trump by relinquishing India’s control over the Chabahar port, the BJP said, “Lying like your leader Rahul Gandhi – your claim of ‘surrender’ on the Chabahar port is pure fiction.”
The saffron party further added, “India has maintained full control and continued development, securing its strategic gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. The ongoing negotiations with the US to operationalize and expand this arrangement demonstrate strong diplomacy.”
It is worth noting that India took over the operation of a part of the Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar during the Chabahar Trilateral Agreement meeting held in Iran on December 24, 2018. India began its engagement with Iran regarding the Chabahar port in 2003. However, it gained significant momentum in late 2014, culminating in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries for the development of the Chabahar port in May 2015.
This MoU evolved into a formal 10-year contract for the operation of the Chabahar port, which was finalized on May 23, 2016, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran.
