WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- A Republican senator has asked India to "just quit" buying oil from Iran, saying its continuing oil import "endangers" the entire world and is a "destabilising" factor for the Middle East.
Senator Jim Risch said he was deeply disappointed that the U.S. has extended a sanctions waiver to India in June in recognition of its efforts in significantly reducing oil imports from Iran, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

"There is no reason why India should not purchase oil from elsewhere if it wants to support the U.S. as a friend and partner in its efforts to pressure Tehran over its nuclear programme," Risch said Thursday.

"The Indians' purchase of oil from Iran in my judgement endangers the entire world community and is a destabilising factor for the Middle East," Risch, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said during confirmation hearing for Indian-American Nisha Desai Biswal who was nominated as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia.

The senator also asked Biswal to convey his concerns about oil imports from Iran to India.

"Tell them at least some members of this body are deeply disappointed in what they're doing," he said.

Biswal defended the waiver decision, saying Iran used to be India's second largest supplier but is now its fifth or sixth.

India has slashed import of crude oil from Iran by more than 26.5 percent in the financial year ended March 31, as U.S. and European sanctions made it difficult to ship oil from the Persian Gulf nation.

India imported about 13.3 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran in the 2012-13 fiscal, down from 18.1 million tonnes in the previous financial year.

By �Bernama

 

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