Strategic affairs professional Brahma Chellaney has criticised what he calls the “sloppy ignorance or deliberate spin” by US policymakers and commentators over the excellence between sanctions on Iranian and Russian oil.
In a strongly worded put up on X (previously Twitter), Chellaney highlighted what he sees as inconsistencies in Washington’s strategy to oil-related sanctions and the geopolitical stress it locations on India.
“The US has sanctions on Iranian oil exports, which China has lengthy flouted with impunity,” Chellaney wrote. “On Russian oil, in contrast, there’s the G7 worth cap, a ban on US imports, and now Trump’s menace of ‘secondary tariffs’ — however no direct, Iran-style export embargo.”
Chellaney pointed to current statements by US Senator Marco Rubio and former hedge fund supervisor Scott Bessent, who referred to Russian oil as “sanctioned.” He dismissed their claims as both “sloppy ignorance” or a deliberate try and blur the variations between the 2 regimes.
“The important thing distinction is stark: America’s Iran sanctions are designed to halt all oil exports, whereas the G7 measure merely seeks to restrict the value of Russian exports and trim Moscow’s income,” he defined. “Pretending in any other case… is spin to justify weaponisation of tariffs.”
Turning to India’s function within the vitality commerce, Chellaney accused US President Donald Trump of hypocrisy. “Trump is popping up the warmth on India to ditch Russian oil in favor of American crude,” he famous. “But, in a twist of Trumpian logic, his 25% tariff on Indian items conveniently spares Indian exports of refined fuels like diesel and jet gasoline to the US — though these very fuels are more and more produced from Russian crude.”
“So apparently, Russian oil is poisonous — until it has been run by an Indian refinery and pumped into American planes,” Chellaney quipped.
The remarks come amid intensifying debate in Washington over how to reply to continued world purchases of Russian oil, and renewed calls by some US politicians to use stricter measures — probably affecting key commerce companions like India.
