On Monday, India signed a 10-year contract to extend the development and operation of the Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman.

The agreement between Indian and Iranian port authorities is a major step in India's long-running ambition to secure a transit route for Indian goods to markets in Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond.

Under the agreement, signed between Indian Ports Global Limited (IPGL) and the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran (PNO), India will invest a total of $370 million (€341.7 million) in development and financing of the port.

After the deal was inked in Tehran, US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters that "anyone considering business deals with Iran" needs to "be aware of the potential risk" of sanctions they are "opening themselves up to."

"US sanctions on Iran remain in place and we will continue to enforce them," Patel said.

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In turn, India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar commented that the United States had been "appreciative" of the port's "larger relevance" in the past.

In 2018, the United States exempted the port's operations from sanctions to allow the flow of goods and fuel to war-torn Afghanistan. The terminal has handled more than 90,000 units of container traffic and 2.5 million tons of wheat and other aid for Afghanistan.

"I think it's a question of communicating, convincing, and getting people to understand that this is actually for........

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