State Department: US Exempts Iranian Chabahar Port From Restored Sanctions

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreed to grant an exemption to allow the development Iran's Chabahar Port from the new Iran sanctions imposed by the United States so it can be used by Afghanistan, a State Department spokesperson told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"After extensive consideration, the Secretary has provided for an exception from the imposition of certain sanctions under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012 (IFCA) with respect to the development of Chabahar Port and the construction of an associated railway and for the shipment of non-sanctionable goods through the Port for Afghanistan’s use, as well as Afghanistan’s continued imports of Iranian petroleum products," the spokesperson said.

Both Afghanistan and India use the port, and the spokesperson said the Trump administration's South Asia strategy "underscores our ongoing support of Afghanistan's economic growth and development as well as our close partnership with India."

The spokesperson added that the relationships with both of those countries must continue to grow closer even as the United States seeks to change the destabilizing behavior of the Iranian regime.

READ MORE: Despite Sanctions Crusade, US Continues to Send New Cargoes to Iran — Reports

In May, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement, and re-impose sanctions against Tehran that had been lifted under the accord. The first round of the US restrictions entered into force in August, and a second, more severe round came into effect on Monday.