International Port of Shahid Beheshti in Chabahar.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Any country having business dealings with Iran runs the risk of sanctions, the United States has said, noting that it is aware that Iran and India have signed a deal concerning the Chabahar port.

Responding to the India-Iran Chabahar agreement, “We are aware of these reports that Iran and India have signed a deal concerning the Chabahar port. I will just say, as it relates to the United States, U.S. sanctions on Iran remain in place and we’ll continue to enforce them,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference.

Over the last months, the U.S. has imposed sanctions to counter Iran’s activities, taking aim at its drone and missile programs, as well as its financing of groups like Hamas.

India and Iran on May 13 signed a 10-year contract, according to which India Ports Global Ltd. (IPGL) will invest about $120 million to equip and develop the Chabahar port terminal that India has been working on thus far as a means to build a trade corridor via Iran to Afghanistan, Central Asia and on to Russia. 

Chabahar agreement can be driver of Iran-India relations: Ambassador Iraj Elahi

A memorandum of understanding for the development of the Chabahar port by India was signed in May 2015. The contract was executed on May 23, 2016, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Iran.

Chabahar is a deep water port located in the Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran. During the visit of Mr. Modi to Iran in May 2016, a trilateral agreement to establish the International Transport and Transit Corridor (Chabahar Agreement) was signed by India, Iran, and Afghanistan.

Washington:

US officials on Wednesday announced fresh sanctions aimed at crippling Russia’s military and industrial capabilities, punishing companies in China and elsewhere that help Moscow acquire weapons for its war in Ukraine.

In a sweeping package announced by the US Treasury Department, Washington targeted nearly 300 entities in Russia, China and other countries accused of supporting President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

“Treasury has consistently warned that companies will face significant consequences for providing material support for Russia’s war,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

“Today’s actions will further disrupt and degrade Russia’s war efforts by going after its military industrial base and the evasion networks that help supply it.”

The latest wave of sanctions came a week after US President Joe Biden signed a much-delayed bill to provide new funding for Ukraine as Kyiv’s military struggles to hold back Russian advances.

“Even as we’re throwing sand in the gears of Russia’s war machine, President (Joe) Biden’s recently-passed National Security Supplemental is providing badly-needed military, economic, and humanitarian support to bolster Ukraine’s courageous resistance,” Yellen said.

“Combined, our support for Ukraine and our relentless targeting of Russia’s military capacity is giving Ukraine a critical leg-up on the battlefield.”

As part of the measures, the State Department blacklisted additional individuals and companies involved in Moscow’s energy, mining and metals sectors.

The sanctions also targeted individuals connected to the death of Russian opposition leader Aleksey Navalny who died in a Siberian prison in February, the statement said.

The almost 300 targets hit included dozens of actors accused of enabling Russia to acquire desperately needed technology and equipment from abroad, the Treasury said.

Some of those targeted were based in countries such as China that have faced increasing pressure from Washington over support for Russia during its 15-month invasion of Ukraine.

“The United States, along with many international partners, is particularly concerned about entities based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and other third countries that provide critical inputs to Russia’s military-industrial base,” the Treasury statement said.

“This support enables Russia to continue its war against Ukraine and poses a significant threat to international security.”

Other than China, targeted non-Russian entities were located in Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

These companies “enable Russia to acquire desperately-needed technology and equipment from abroad,” the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)