Looking at details of exemption from US to buy Iran oil: MEA

India is one of seven countries that the Donald Trump administration has exempted from its 'no buying oil from Iran' diktat.

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New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday that it i taking a closer look at the details of the exemption given to India by the United States for it to continue buying oil from Iran.

The US earlier this week had exempted India from the imposition of certain sanctions to procure oil from Iran and for the development of the strategically-located Chabahar port here. The development took place a day after the US imposed the toughest ever sanctions on Iran. "We are looking at the details of the exemption(from US sanctions on Iran) given to India,"  said Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of MEA. "We appreciate that the USA has shown understanding towards our position."

The details, the nature and the degree of exemptions given by the US to India are not clear yet. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during an interview with Fox News, deflected questions on the commitment from India and China on zero-oil purchase from Iran. India and China are the two biggest buyers of Iranian oil and have been looking at getting exemptions even as Washington tries to penalise Tehran.  The reimposition of US sanctions on Iran, Pompeo asserted are the toughest ever on this country.

''They're aimed at a singular purpose, denying the world's largest state sponsor of terrorists the capacity to do things like they did this past couple weeks, attempted assassination campaign in the heart of Europe,'' Pompeo had said.