Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi (ANI photo)
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday sharply criticized the United States over its stance on Russian crude, claiming that Washington is now “begging” countries including India to buy Russian oil after earlier pressing for a halt to such imports.In a post on X, Araghchi said, “The US spent months bullying India to stop importing oil from Russia. After a two-week war with Iran, the White House is now begging the world, including India, to buy Russian crude.”He also criticized Europe’s position on the conflict, writing, “Europe thought that supporting an illegal war on Iran would garner American support against Russia.”
Ending the post on a candid note, he said, “Pathetic”, while sharing a report detailing how a US war with Iran could benefit Russia, a country with which Donald Trump remains at odds on a number of geopolitical issues.
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Araghchi’s comments come a day after he spoke to his counterpart S Jaishankar in New Delhi. The call is the fourth conversation between the two ministers since tensions increased in the Middle East.Meanwhile, Iran has allowed two India-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers to transit through the Strait of Hormuz despite the ongoing conflict in the region, according to a Reuters report citing sources with direct knowledge of the matter.Reuters, citing shipping data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence, also reported that a crude oil tanker carrying Saudi Arabian oil is expected to arrive in India after transiting the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month.Also read: Five US planes refueled by Iran attack Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air BaseEarlier, Iran’s Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali had confirmed that Tehran would ensure safe passage for ships headed to India through the Strait of Hormuz.Responding to a question on whether India-bound ships would be allowed safe transit through the key energy route, Fatahli said, “Yes. Because India and I are friends. You can see the future, and I think after two or three hours. Because we believe so. We believe that Iran and India are friends. We have common interests; we have a common destiny.”He said, “The suffering of the people of India is our suffering and vice versa. And for this reason, the Government of India helps us, and we should help the Government of India because our destiny and interests are the same.”