#IranOilImport: US envoy on Iran to hold talks with India
US Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, will be visiting India this week for talks ahead of the November 4 deadline set by the Trump administration for countries to cut their import of Iranian oil. President Donald Trump in May pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear accord, saying it had failed to block all paths to an Iranian nuclear deal. Here's more.
Sanctions on Iran targeted its trade in gold, automobile sector
In an attempt to compel Iran to agree to a new accord, Trump reinstated sanctions that targeted the Iranian Government's purchase of US dollars, Iran's trade in gold, and other precious metals, and its automobile sector. On November 4, a second batch of sanctions will be re-imposed on Iran's oil and shipping sectors as well as its central bank.
Hook to meet with counterparts in India for consultations
During his trip from October 10-17, Hook will engage with allies and partners on their shared need to counter the entirety of the Iranian regime's destructive behavior in the Middle East, and in their own neighborhoods. In India, Hook and Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Francis R Fannon, will meet with their counterparts for consultations.
Iran is India's third largest oil supplier
India's Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said two state refiners have placed orders for importing crude oil from Iran in November. Iran is India's third-largest oil supplier. Of the 220.4mn metric tons of crude oil imported by India in 2017-18, about 9.4%, was from Iran.
Hook will also be traveling to other countries
Hook will be traveling to Europe to discuss US foreign policy toward Iran. In Luxembourg, he will attend meetings with officials in the European Union meeting of ministers. In France, Hook and Bureau of Energy Resources officials will meet with the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency. In Belgium, he will meet with EU counterparts to discuss the Iranian regime's continued missile proliferation.
