India is hopeful that the US will extend the waiver from sanctions on its oil imports from Iran when the current six-month period expires in early May following Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale’s talks with senior officials in Washington this week. The exemption was a key item on the agenda when Gokhale met US Secretary of State Mark Pompeo and his counterpart in the US State Department, ET has learnt. India’s optimism stems from a series of meetings following a reduction in oil imports from Iran, officials indicated.
The US imposed sanctions on Iran in November after abrogating a nuclear deal in a dispute over Tehran’s nuclear and missile ambitions, although India and other countries were exempted from the curbs. Stable oil prices are important for the Modi government as it seeks re-election in polls starting in April.
