'Punitive strike': Brahma Chellaney warns Trump’s Chabahar sanctions move punishes India, benefits China

Geostrategist Brahma Chellaney has criticised the Trump administration’s decision to revoke the sanctions exemption for Iran’s Chabahar Port, calling it an India-specific punitive step that undermines New Delhi’s strategic interests.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Chellaney wrote: “Trump administration tightens squeeze on India: Not content with slapping 50% tariffs on Indian goods, it has now taken an India-specific punitive step by revoking the 2018 sanctions exemption for Iran’s Chabahar Port, operated by India.”

The exemption, granted in 2018, had allowed India to sign a landmark 10-year agreement earlier this year to develop and operate the port in southeastern Iran. Seen as a strategic counterweight to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port — a flagship Chinese Belt and Road Initiative project — Chabahar provides India with a vital trade gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan.

Chellaney warned that with the waiver expiring on September 29, Indian state-run firms involved in Chabahar face the risk of U.S. secondary sanctions. “By killing the exemption, Trump is punishing India for building a counterweight to China’s influence,” he said, adding that Washington’s pressure has consistently left India worse off while benefiting Beijing.

He pointed to the irony that India had already complied with US sanctions in Trump’s first term by halting all Iranian oil imports — a move that forced New Delhi to sacrifice its own energy security. That decision, Chellaney argued, handed China a major advantage as the near-exclusive buyer of Iran’s cut-rate crude, “the world’s cheapest,” strengthening Beijing’s energy position at India’s expense.

The revocation marks a significant setback for India’s regional connectivity plans. The Chabahar Port project has long been seen as a linchpin of New Delhi’s strategy to expand trade and influence in Central Asia while limiting reliance on routes through Pakistan. Analysts note the move could strain US-India ties, particularly as New Delhi seeks to balance relations with both Washington and Tehran in a region marked by growing Chinese assertiveness.