On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Sayyed Abbas Araqchi mocked the change in the United States’ position on Russian oil amid Washington’s war with Iran.
Araqchi claimed, in a post on social media, that The Donald Trump administration is now “begging” India and other countries around the world to buy Russian crude despite previous pressure to halt such imports.
“The United States has spent months pressuring India to stop oil imports from Russia,” Araqchi wrote on X. “After two weeks of war with Iran, the White House is now pleading with the world — including India — to buy Russian crude.”
The Iranian Foreign Minister also criticized European countries for supporting an “illegitimate war” against Iran, claiming that they expected American support against Russia in return.
He added: “Europe thought that supporting the illegal war against Iran would gain the support of the United States against Russia. It is pathetic.”
Meanwhile, Iran allowed two Indian-flagged LPG tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict in the Middle East, Reuters reported, citing four sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
The crude oil tanker carrying Saudi oil is expected to arrive in India on Saturday, after transiting the Strait of Hormuz around March 1, Reuters reported, citing two sources and shipping data from Lloyd’s List.
What did the United States say about India buying Russian oil?
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent He described India’s continued purchase of Russian oil as “inevitable”, saying the decision to grant a 30-day temporary exemption to Indian refiners was driven by urgent supply needs amid conflict-triggered energy outages in West Asia.
In an interview with Sky News journalist Wilfred Frost, Besant said the US administration had granted a 30-day exemption to Indian refineries that were earlier banned from buying Russian oil. Explaining the decision, he said the exemption was necessary because Russian oil shipments were already on their way.
“Well, I think it’s inevitable, that’s why we gave a 30-day exception – because the Russian barrels are in the water and it’s a quick source for Indian refiners. The other way to think about it is that those barrels are going to end up in China anyway,” Besant added.
