Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

US rules out sanction exemptions to countries from Iranian crude oil import

THE US has ruled out giving any exemption from its punitive sanctions to countries, including India, for buying crude oil (oil) from Iran, saying America's maximum pressure campaign was working and the Trump administration remains "unwavering" in its tough policy on Tehran.

US president Trump last month refused to give waivers to countries including India from buying oil from Iran, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero.


The US on Tuesday (28) reiterated its position at a news conference here after media reports from New Delhi, quoting unnamed government officials, said that India was looking at ways to resume oil imports from Iran despite the US sanctions.

Last week, India's ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India had stopped buying oil from Iran after May 2 when the US ended its waivers that allowed the top buyers of Iranian oil, including India, to continue their imports for six months.

The US state department said there was no change in its policy on Iranian sanctions.

"The secretary (of state) has been very clear since April 22nd that we are going to zero,” spokesperson of the state department Morgan Ortagus told reporters during an off-camera news conference.

"We have stated that there are no new exemptions after May 2 as it relates to importing Iranian oil.

The US reimposed sanctions on Iran in November after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and six other world powers.

Ortagus said the American sanctions on Iran were working.

Noting that the economic sanctions and the maximum pressure campaign will remain in place, the spokesperson said that both president Trump and secretary of state Mike Pompeo have said they will be willing to talk to the Iranian regime.

As of late April, India dropped its dependency on Iranian oil from about 2.5 million tonnes a month to one million tonnes a month, Shringla said last week.

Noting that the US did talk of trying to maintain price stability, Shringla said in the short term, there has been reduced price stability.

Iran earlier used to supply 10 per cent of India's oil needs.

After coming to power, Trump withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal last year and has imposed stringent sanctions against what he describes as the "authoritarian" Iranian regime.

The US is seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran to counter what the White House perceives to be a potential threat.

(PTI)

More For You

Anoushka Shankar

Anoushka Shankar will perform Passages in full in a Brighton Festival

Getty Images

Anoushka Shankar, Rachel Portman, and Susanna Mälkki to perform at Brighton Festival 2025

Brighton Festival 2025 is set to bring an exciting array of collaborative classical performances that span centuries and generations, with a dynamic lineup of artists showcasing music from across the ages. The festival's classical programme, curated under the artistic direction of the Grammy-nominated sitarist and composer Anoushka Shankar, promises a journey through time with performances that bridge both the Baroque period and modern orchestral works.

Anoushka Shankar will also be gracing the stage herself, performing music by her father, the legendary Ravi Shankar, alongside the Britten Sinfonia and Indian classical musicians, in a rare live rendition of Passages, an album created by her father in collaboration with the minimalist composer Philip Glass.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty
Modi shakes hands with Trump before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)

US trade officials in India for talks as tariff deadline nears

US OFFICIALS arrived in India on Tuesday for trade discussions ahead of the implementation of tariffs announced by president Donald Trump.

The meetings come as the US moves forward with reciprocal tariff measures affecting multiple countries, including India.

Keep ReadingShow less
reeves-spring-statement

To prevent a budget deficit, Reeves has announced cuts to disability welfare payments and reductions in government departmental budgets, citing global economic uncertainty.

Government cuts growth forecast, announces public spending cuts

THE UK government reduced its 2025 growth forecast by half on Wednesday and announced spending cuts to manage public finances amid economic challenges.

The Spring Statement update comes as the Labour government, which won a landslide election in July, faces slow economic growth and rising borrowing costs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez at a red carpet event before their split

Getty Images

Ben Affleck opens up on divorce as Jennifer Lopez buys £14M home : ‘We were just too different’

Ben Affleck has finally addressed his split from Jennifer Lopez, offering an insight into why their marriage ended after just two years. In a recent interview with GQ, the actor reflected on their relationship, emphasising that their differences played a major role in their separation.

Affleck and Lopez, who rekindled their romance in 2021 and married in 2022, filed for divorce in 2024, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Despite months of speculation about behind-the-scenes drama, Affleck dismissed any notion of a major fallout, stating that their breakup was not due to a single incident or controversy.

Keep ReadingShow less
IPL 2025: SRH vs LSG in a High-Stakes Battle for Crucial Win

Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad have faced each other four times in the IPL so far

Getty Images

IPL 2025: Hyderabad and Lucknow clash in search of a crucial win

The seventh match of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season will see Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

The much-anticipated clash is set to be held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on March 27, with the action beginning at 7:30 PM IST.

Keep ReadingShow less