 "Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Reuters file")
Amid the rising tensions in West Asia , Iran on Saturday slammed the United States, claiming that American President Donald Trump is now “begging” countries, including India, to purchase oil from Russia. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called out America’s double standards over Russian crude.
“The US spent months bullying India into ending oil imports from Russia. After two weeks of war with Iran, White House is now begging the world —including India — to buy Russian crude,” he posted on X. The Iranian diplomat went on to slam the European nations for backing “illegal war” against Iran, which has been raging on since February 28.
“Europe thought backing illegal war on Iran would win US support against Russia . Pathetic,” he said. Araghchi was sharing his assertion along with a Financial Times report highlighting how rising oil prices are providing Russia with a significant boost in revenue.
US eases sanctions on Russia
Araghchi’s remarks came a day after the Trump administration announced a 30-day waiver permitting countries to buy Russian oil cargoes despite existing sanctions. Last week, US Secretary of State Scott Bessent said Washington has “allowed” Indian refiners to buy Russian oil that was stranded at sea and could consider allowing more barrels into the market if supply pressures continue.
“The Indians had been very good actors. We had asked them to stop buying sanctioned Russian oil this fall. They did,” Bessent said, noting that New Delhi complied with earlier US requests before receiving the temporary waiver.
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View AllIt is pertinent to note that this waiver was introduced after benchmark crude prices surged past $100 per barrel due to supply disruptions triggered by the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital oil shipping waterways.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali , also maintained that New Delhi will be granted safe passage through the Strait. He cited the longstanding friendship and shared interests between the two countries.
“Yes. Because India and I are friends. You can see the future, and I think that after two or three hours. Because we believe that. We believe that Iran and India are friends. We have common interests; we have a common fate,” the Iranian envoy told reporters.