🇮🇳India will buy oil from Venezuela instead of Iran 🛢️🛢️
American President Donald Trump stated that India has agreed to a "conceptual agreement" to replace Iranian oil with supplies from U.S.-controlled Venezuela. This announcement follows a year of increasing pressure from the Trump administration on New Delhi to limit its energy ties with its geopolitical rivals.
Trump stated that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will turn towards purchasing Venezuelan crude oil as part of a broader U.S. push to isolate Tehran.
This move follows the capture by the U.S. of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January 2026, after which the U.S. claimed control of the nation's oil reserves.
Beyond Iran, Washington is also pushing India to reduce its dependence on Russian crude oil, which has been hit by American tariffs of up to 50% over the past year.
Although India has historically sought to maintain energy ties with Iran, official imports have remained negligible since 2019 due to previous cycles of U.S. sanctions. The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet issued direct confirmation of Trump's specific "deal" claim.