Rubio Tells India US Can Help With Energy Security Amid New Russia-Iran Sanctions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, their first meeting since President Donald Trump signed a law expanding sanctions on Russia and Iran. The two discussed the penalties that could apply to countries engaging economically with Moscow and Tehran.

In a statement after the meeting, the US Department of State said Rubio stressed that Washington remains well placed to help regional partners tackle their energy security challenges. Jaishankar said on X that he had reiterated India's interests and concerns regarding the sanctions law, and that the Gulf and Ukraine situations were also discussed.

The talks followed Trump's signing of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which authorises and broadens statutory sanctions, tariffs and prohibitions on Russia while extending existing measures against Iran. The law gives the president the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries that keep buying oil and gas from Russia. India and China are among the largest purchasers of Russian crude.

Addressing world leaders at the United Nations, Trump said the "powerful new law" provides him with "enormous new tariff authorities" on major buyers of Russian oil, adding that he would use them if necessary. India has said it remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people through diversified sourcing.

A day before the Rubio meeting, Jaishankar conveyed India's economic and strategic concerns about the sanctions bill during a bilateral discussion. Washington has said it expects New Delhi to increase direct purchases of American oil, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying in March that India is an essential partner and that the US anticipates a rise in Indian buying of US crude, at a time when Delhi held a temporary waiver to buy oil from Moscow.

The exchange highlights India's continuing effort to balance strategic autonomy with energy security as global geopolitical alignments shift.