US Asks India, Emerging Countries to Play Vital Role in Sanctions against Iran

In a ‘strong signal’ to nations transacting business dealings with Iran, the US has urged Indian and other up-and-coming powers to play a vital role in galvanizing the world community for imposing sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear programme, reported PTI.

“We are expecting everyone, particularly, emerging powers to play a significant role in this (issue),” Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, P J Crowley was quoted as saying.

He made the remarks while taking to reporters in response to a question about the latest Indian move to resume talks with Iran for a multi-billion dollar gas pipeline project.

The comments followed a warning given by Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake yesterday to all countries against engaging in transactions with Iran.

Only two weeks, Pakistan and Iran signed a pact on the gas pipeline project.

“We have a broad-based dialogue with both India and Pakistan. Part of the dialogue in each country is to understand and help, with the respective and legitimate energy needs that countries in the region have,” Crowley was quoted as saying.

“But we are also sending a very strong signal to a range of countries; not just in South Asia, throughout the world, to those countries that have economic relations with Iran or to those sectors of the global economy that do business with Iran, understand where this process is going, and understand that ultimately … There will be ramifications here in terms of how this proceeds,” he was quoted as saying.

Crowley noted that the US is discussing with P5+ One (US, UK, Russia, France and China plus Germany) the issue of extra sanctions on Iran through the UN Security Council, report said.

“Washington expects depending on not only what’s in that resolution but other steps that countries will take for going forward,” he was quoted as saying.

He stressed that the world community needed to be united behind the effort and should enforce whatever sanctions were put in place against Iran, report said.

“There are, you know, existing sanctions already in place,” he was quoted as saying.

Responding to a question if the US has taken up the issue specifically with India and Pakistan, Crowley said, “We have expressed our concerns to a number of countries that have ongoing economic relations with Iran that now may not be the best time to pursue such (relationship).”