New Delhi, January 9: India on Thursday expressed relief over US decision to exempt Chabahar port from the sanctions despite tensions between US-Iran after Iran launched ballistic missile attack on two Iraqi bases housing US troops on Wednesday. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that in the past too US has shown understanding on the importance of Chabahar project. Replying to a question as to how would the increased US tariffs affect the project, Kumar said that, "How the whole thing is going to impact is hypothetical, we'll have to see. But, we do appreciate US exempting Chabahar port from the sanctions." Afghanistan Begins Exporting Goods to India through Strategic Chabahar Port in Iran.

He also added that India is closely monitoring the situation and added that peace, security and stability in the Iran region is of utmost importance. "We would like the situation to de-escalate as quickly as possible. We are talking to several stakeholders. EAM has spoken to players in the region," he confirmed. Donald Trump Confirms 'No Americans Killed in Iranian Attacks on Iraqi Bases Housing US Troops'.

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In December 2019, India and Iran agreed to accelerate work on the strategic Chabahar project as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The Chabahar port — jointly being developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan — is considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade with central Asian nations by the three countries. It is located on the Indian Ocean in the Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 09, 2020 06:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).