Chabahar Port, US Sanctions on Iran, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
What is the News?
The U.S. administration’s decision to grant India and seven other countries waivers on the sanctions it re-imposed on Iran provides some temporary relief to India. While the details of the waivers are yet to be released, the Trump administration has agreed to waive sanctions on the purchase of oil from Iran for about six months.
The waivers announced cover Indian investment in Iran’s Chabahar port and the plan to build a railway line from Chabahar to Afghanistan to facilitate trade.
After 180 days of withdrawal of USA from the JCPOA, this exemption for India is the major step taken by the Trump Administration.
United States sanctions against Iran
- US Sanctions against Iran refers to economic, trade, scientific and military sanctions imposed by the Unites States of America against Iran.
- The sanctions include an embargo on dealings with Iran by the United States, and a ban on selling aircraft and repair parts to Iranian aviation companies.
- In August 2018 the Trump administration re-imposed the sanctions and warned that anyone doing business with Iran will not be able to do business with the United States.
- In 2018, the United Nations International Court of Justice “ordered” the United States to stop the sanctions.
What is Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)?
- JCPOA is commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal.
- It is an agreement on the nuclear program of Iran between Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany) and the European Union.
- Under the agreement, Iran agreed to eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium, cut its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98%, and reduce by about two-thirds the number of its gas centrifuges for 13 years.
- The agreement provides that in return for veritably abiding by its commitments, Iran will receive relief from U.S., European Union, and United Nations Security Council nuclear-related economic sanctions.
- US has withdrawn from the JCPOA in May, 2018.
About Chabahar Port
- Chabahar Port is located on the Makran coast, Chabahar in southeastern Iran.
- It lies in the Gulf of Oman and is the only Iranian port with direct access to the ocean.
- In the 1990’s under the Ashgabhat agreement, India partially built the port with the intention of providing access to the Central Asian region and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.
- From Chabahar, the existing Iranian road network can link up to Zaranj in Afghanistan, about 883 kms from the port.
- The Zaranj-Delaram road constructed by India in 2009 can give access to Afghanistan’s Garland Highway, setting up road access to four major cities in Afghanistan.
Prepared By: Sai Eswar