India-Iran cooperation to continue despite US pressure: Analyst

New Delhi, July 28, IRNA – India sees Iran as its main ally in Asia and will not succumb to the US pressure, an Indian foreign policy analyst said 'Iran is India's all-weather ally in Central Asia and keeping an eye on Pakistan, India will never succumb to Washington's pressure and will continue cooperating with Iran,' Amrita Dhillon has told Russia's Sputnik. Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (the US, France, Britain, China, and Russia) plus Germany signed the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in 2015. Iran accepted to curb its nuclear program in exchange for some economic sanctions relief. However, the US President Donald Trump in May decided to pull out of the deal, calling it the worst agreement Washington has ever singed. US has urged its allies to halt their oil imports from Iran by November 4. The decision has prompted some major customers of Iran crude, such as South Korea and India, to explore ways for escaping the demand. I do not observe any alteration in the continued sovereign foreign policy of India. It cannot be held hostage by the dominating policies of any major power. 'New Delhi will never kneel down there,' he said. Referring to the southeastern Chabahar port of Iran that connects south to Central Asia, the analyst, who is also founding editor of The Kootneeti, said, 'Chabahar port cooperation is one of India's key strategic interests to maintain the balance of geopolitics in the region.'