India is in talks with the US to extend waiver from US economic sanctions on Iran's Chabahar port, according to The Economic Times.
The talks are aimed at securing India's strategic interests in using the port on Iran's southern coast, which is a key element of regional trade for the South Asian republic. Washington's six-month waiver for Chabahar expires on April 26.
India is also in talks with Tehran to manage the port if the US refuses to extend the waiver.
For several years, New Delhi has allocated $10 million annually for the development of Chabahar. For India, the port offers a key route bypassing Pakistan, which has consistently denied India land access for trade.
In September 2025, the US imposed sweeping economic sanctions on Iran, but agreed to India's request and granted a six-month waiver for its participation in the Chabahar port project.
Iran's Chabahar port is located on the Makran coast at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. It is the only Iranian port with direct access to the Indian Ocean. In May 2024, India signed a 10-year, renewable agreement with Iran to manage the port. New Delhi and Tehran agreed to jointly develop the port in 2003, but the project was delayed due to international sanctions on Iran. In 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his intention to invest USD 500 million in the construction of Chabahar port infrastructure.