New Iran sanctions: Indian expert says Islamabad sees its future in new world order while Delhi unwilling to abandon US

Indian political and defence commentator Parwin Sawhney has compared Pakistan and India’s positions on United States (US) sanctions against Iran, saying that Pakistan has rejected them while India is still “studying” their implications.

Sawhney took to X to share a video of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri speaking about the impact of the latest US sanctions on Iran.

“The difference: Pakistan rejected US sanctions on Iran. India is studying US sanctions on Iran. Thus, Pakistan sees its future in the new world order while India is unwilling to abandon the US led order which is in sharp decline!”

In the video, Misri said that India had taken note of the latest information released by US authorities about the sanctions affecting five sectors.

“Look, we’ve noted the most recent information that has come out from US authorities with regard to I think five new sectors or five sectors that have been impacted by these sanctions. We are studying them,” he said.

Misri said that India’s position on sanctions remained that it recognised sanctions imposed by the United Nations (UN).

He said that India’s effort regarding the US sanctions was to inform Indian entities that could potentially be affected about their existence and possible implications. “In so far as these sanctions are concerned, it is our effort to make those entities in India that might potentially be impacted by these sanctions aware of their existence and the possible implications of these sanctions,” Misri said.

He added that the sanctions would target individuals involved in activities that the measures sought to prohibit.

Pakistan, meanwhile, had adopted a position focused on following international law and its bilateral agreements with Iran as the US tightened economic pressure on Tehran.

At a weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that Pakistan’s trade with Iran remained in line with its international obligations.

“About trade with Iran, Pakistan is following international law, and our bilateral trade agreements with Iran,” Andrabi said. “As such, our trade remains in consonance with our obligations.”