India🇮🇳 likely to retaliate US for upgrading F16 to Pakistan by Resume the Oil Import from Iran 🇮🇷

 The discussion over India’s oil purchases from Iran has been revived four years after New Delhi decided to “zero out” or cancel its oil imports of Iranian sweet crude under the threat of U.S. sanctions. However, soaring oil prices and the U.S.’s current focus on sanctions against Russia may trigger a rethink, analysts have suggested.

When asked, an Iranian official said India’s decision to buy oil was a purely sovereign decision, but added that “illegal, unilateral sanctions” should not weigh with India.

The United States foreign military sales worth $450 million for the upgrade of the F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan were part of the country's long-standing policy, the US Department of States said on Monday, downplaying the funding that attracted India's strong objections. The department stressed the jets after the proposed upgrades will support Pakistan's "sustained action against all terrorist groups".

India protested the decision to sell spares to Pakistan in a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu, saying the technology would be used against it.  

"The US government has notified the Congress of a proposed Foreign Military sales case to sustain the Pakistan Air Force`s F-16 programme. Pakistan is an important counterterrorism partner, and as part of long-standing policy, the United States provides life cycle maintenance and sustainment packages for US-origin platforms," said a Department of State spokesperson on Monday to a request for comments as concern mounted in New Delhi.

"Pakistan's F-16 programme is an important part of the broader United States-Pakistan bilateral relationship. The proposed sale will sustain Pakistan`s capability to meet current and future counterterrorism threats by maintaining its F-16 fleet," the spokesperson added. 

Experts have viewed the US move as the breaking of ice between the two countries after four years of dismal relations during the rule of Imran Khan. 

India has been accusing Pakistan of funnelling US aid towards its proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir and fomenting terrorism in the region. In the aerial dogfight after the Pulwama attack, Pakistan openly used its F-16 jets against India. 

Iran will nudge India towards reviving its procurement of discounted Iranian sweet crude during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi that is likely to take place this Friday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand. This will be the first time the two leaders will meet since Mr. Raisi’s election last year, as Iran joins the SCO as a member this year, and the question of India’s oil imports from Iran, which were cancelled in 2018-2019, as well as the next stage of Chabahar port development, regional connectivity and Afghanistan are all expected to be on the agenda for bilateral talks.

According to an official in Mr. Raisi’s office, the Iranian leader is expected to also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit. The Ministry of External Affairs has not confirmed which leaders Mr. Modi will meet separately, but he is widely expected to meet President Putin, President Raisi and Uzbekistan President Shovkat Mirziyoyev. All eyes will be on any contact or engagement with the Chinese President, their first since the LAC military stand-off began and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whom he would be meeting for the first time since he took over.