How Trump’s Chabahar U-turn puts India’s regional ambitions at risk

The US's move to revoke the sanctions waiver for Iran’s Chabahar Port has cast uncertainty over India’s regional trade strategy.

- Dhirendra Kumar

The waiver allowed Indian firms to operate the port free of US curbs, enabling New Delhi to pursue access to Afghanistan and Central Asia while bypassing Pakistan. Its withdrawal now clouds prospects for trade continuity, connectivity, and India’s wider strategic ambitions.

Chabahar Port, located on Iran’s southeastern coast along the Gulf of Oman, is India’s key maritime gateway to landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia. In 2018, the US granted an exemption to Indian entities under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act (Ifca), allowing them to invest in and operate the port without the threat of American curbs. On 16 September, the US announced it would withdraw this waiver effective 29 September.