Jaishankar Raises India's Concerns Over Russia-Iran Sanctions Law in Rubio Talks

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised India's interests and concerns regarding a newly enacted US sanctions law during a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York, as the two sides held talks on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The discussions, held on 23 September US time, covered sanctions that could be directed at states engaging economically with Russia and Iran, along with the situations in the Gulf and Ukraine, according to a State Department statement.

Rubio said the United States remains well-positioned to help regional partners address their energy security challenges. The two diplomats also reaffirmed the role of the US-India strategic partnership in promoting a safe, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

In a post on X, Jaishankar described the meeting as good and said he had reiterated India's interests and concerns with regard to the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. He added that the Gulf and Ukraine situations were also discussed. Rubio, in his own post, said the two were building on the strategic partnership and coordinating on key regional priorities and upcoming multilateral efforts.

The meeting follows President Donald Trump's signing of the legislation last Friday. The law authorises and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on Iran. It is named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who had proposed a sanctions bill imposing 500 per cent tariffs on countries buying Russian oil.

Addressing world leaders at the United Nations on Tuesday, Trump said the law provides him with enormous new tariff authorities over major buyers of Russian oil, including India and China, and that he would use them if necessary.

The development comes as India assesses the potential implications of the new law for its energy purchases and exports to the American market. The legislation gives the US president powers to impose additional tariffs on countries buying Russian crude oil and natural gas, though it does not automatically impose a 100 per cent tariff on Indian goods. Instead, it creates statutory authority for the administration to impose such measures under specified conditions.

India has said it remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people and will continue to do so through diversified sourcing.