How Trump’s Chabahar Port sanction waiver withdrawal puts India's regional ambitions at risk

What is the issue? Chabahar Port, located on Iran's southeastern coast along the Gulf of Oman, is India's key maritime gateway to landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia. In 2018, the US granted an exemption to Indian entities under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act (IFCA), allowing them to invest in and operate the port without the threat of American curbs. On 16 September, the US announced it would revoke this waiver effective 29 September. This move exposes Indian companies operating at Chabahar to potential sanctions, which could include freezing of assets or restrictions on their access to the US financial…