Reuters |
Kolkata
May 7, 2012
Last Updated at 10:56 IST
Clinton hopes India will do "even more" to cut Iran oil imports
Adequate supply from other countries fuelled hopes
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday she hoped India will do "even more" to cut its purchases of oil from sanctions-hit Iran as there was adequate supply available from other countries such as Saudi Arabia.
Speaking in Kolkata on a visit to India, Clinton said there would be a decision in about two months as to whether India would be given a waiver from sanctions over Iran oil purchases.
She also said she was apprehensive about the possibility of a conflict between Iran and Israel.
India has publicly rejected Western sanctions but has pushed refiners to cut imports of oil from Iran by 15-20% - enough, it hopes, to win a waiver from Washington.
The United States in March granted exemptions to Japan and 10 European Union nations from its sanctions, which are aimed at pressuring Iran to end its nuclear programme. India and China, Iran's biggest buyers of crude, remain on a list at risk if they do not cut oil imports "substantially".
