US President Donald Trump has claimed that India will purchase crude oil from Venezuela instead of Iran, amid ongoing US sanctions on Tehran.
India currently does not import significant volumes of Iranian crude due to these sanctions, although Iran was once among India’s top oil suppliers.
Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday evening, while travelling from Washington, DC, to Florida, according to a report by Reuters.
Trump’s Statement on Oil Deal
Speaking to the media, Trump said that India was part of a broader arrangement involving Venezuela’s oil exports.
“China is welcome to come in and make a great deal on oil. We’ve already made a deal. India is coming in, and they’re going to be buying Venezuelan oil as opposed to buying it from Iran,” Trump said.
The US President added that the “concept of the deal” had already been agreed upon.
India’s Current Oil Import Position
India does not import substantial quantities of crude oil from Iran due to US-imposed sanctions, which disrupted trade ties between the two countries. Before the sanctions came into effect, Iran was one of India’s largest crude oil suppliers.
India’s oil imports in recent years have been dominated by Russian crude, a trend that has drawn repeated criticism from Trump.
Political Reactions in India
Trump’s claim triggered reactions from Indian political leaders. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared the audio of Trump’s remarks on social media platform X and questioned the credibility of the repeated assertions.
“He told us Operation Sindoor had been halted. He told us India had stopped buying Russian oil. And now this,” Ramesh said.
He further added that Trump appeared to be “providing information on what the Indian government has done or will be doing.”
Developments in Venezuela-India Relations
The comments come amid renewed diplomatic engagement between India and Venezuela. Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in areas including energy, trade, investment, digital technology, health, and agriculture.
This marked the first leadership-level contact from Venezuela to India since the US military action in Caracas on January 3, during which President Nicolás Maduro was detained on charges related to drugs, weapons, and narco-terrorism.
Following the call, Prime Minister Modi said the two sides agreed to deepen and expand the India–Venezuela partnership across multiple sectors.
US Pressure on India’s Energy Imports
Trump has repeatedly criticised India’s oil procurement strategy, particularly its continued purchase of Russian crude, and has imposed tariffs on Indian imports over the issue. New Delhi has described these measures as “unjustified.”
Outlook
While Trump’s claim has drawn attention, there has been no official confirmation from the Indian government regarding any shift in oil sourcing from Iran to Venezuela. Market participants and policymakers are expected to watch for further clarity on India’s energy strategy in the coming days.
