US warns Pakistan of ‘possible sanctions’ for doing trade with Iran

Washington: The United States has hinted at the “risk of possible sanctions” on Pakistan if Islamabad did trade with Iran.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller while reacting to a question on the visit of Iran President Ebrahim Raisi said that the United States is one of Pakistan’s largest export markets. However, he advised “caution to those considering trade deals with Iran,” citing the potential threat of sanctions.

“We advise anyone considering business deals with Iran to be aware of the potential risk of sanctions.”

The spokesperson did not specifically name Pakistan but reminded it of the US significance as the biggest foreign market and one of the biggest investors in the country.

“We have also been a leading investor in Pakistan for the past 20 years. Pakistan’s economic success is in both of our interest, and we look forward to continuing our partnership,” he added.

Regarding President Raisi’s three-day visit to Pakistan and bilateral agreements inked by the two countries, he hinted at the possibility that these [US-Pakistan] relations could be jeopardized by sanctions because of Iran.

It may be recalled that the US had cautioned Islamabad last month of sanctions for importing gas from Iran saying that “we do not support this pipeline going forward.”