Countries helping Iran evade sanctions could themselves face penalties, says Rubio

Chapel Hill (North Carolina): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that countries helping Iran evade American sanctions could themselves face penalties, while dismissing suggestions that India and Iran were preparing a trade agreement.

Rubio made the remarks when asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with the Iranian President and officials, and reports that the two countries appeared to be moving towards a trade deal.

“Well, I don’t think there’s a trade deal between India and Iran,” Rubio said in an interview with The Brian Kilmeade Show.

He acknowledged that countries pursued independent foreign policies and maintained contacts with Tehran. Washington itself had communicated with representatives of the Iranian government, he said.

“Obviously, there are — countries all develop their own foreign policy, and many countries around the world talk to the Iranian regime,” Rubio said. “I mean, we’ve met with elements of the Iranian regime as well, in terms of some of these discussions that have occurred and there’s been contact with them.”

But Rubio said President Donald Trump had made clear that no country should assist Tehran in bypassing sanctions or establishing channels to earn revenue.

“I think what ultimately happens though is — and the President’s been very clear — is no country should be helping Iran evade sanctions,” he said.

“No country should be out there helping them create mechanisms by which they can generate revenue that they will then use to sponsor terrorism and try to build a nuclear weapon. And if countries decide to do that, then we’re going to have to sanction them too.”

Rubio said preventing Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon remained the central objective of the Trump administration.

“Iran will never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon, certainly not as long as President Trump is in office,” he said.

The Secretary of State said Washington’s primary means of pressuring Tehran remained economic, but it reserved the right to use military force when it considered such action necessary.

“As long as they continue to endeavour or claim to want one, they’re going to pay a price for it, and that price is going to be primarily economic,” Rubio said. “But we reserve the right, as we said, to take military action when necessary — not just to protect ourselves but to prevent them from being able to threaten others as well.”

Rubio also accused Tehran of using its financial resources to support armed groups rather than improve the lives of Iranians.

“They want money for two things — to sponsor terrorism and ultimately to have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “And we can’t allow that to happen.”

On the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said Iran had continued firing at commercial ships, while the United States had destroyed mines placed in the strategic waterway.

“So we will continue to target those things that pose an imminent threat to our forces and to global shipping in the straits,” he said. “The straits will remain open, and they will not be under Iranian control.”

India and Iran have longstanding diplomatic and commercial relations. India has also been involved in developing Iran’s Chabahar port, which gives it a trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia without passing through Pakistan.

IANS