Trump Says India Will Shift Oil Purchases to Venezuela, Not Iran
By Editorial Desk | Chatzyr
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that India will purchase oil from Venezuela instead of Iran, signaling a potential realignment in global energy trade driven by U.S. sanctions policy.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling from Washington, D.C. to Florida, Trump said an understanding with New Delhi was already in place.
“We’ve already made that deal — the concept of the deal,” Trump said, adding that India would turn to Venezuelan crude rather than Iranian supplies.
Trump also said China would be welcome to strike a similar arrangement with Washington to buy Venezuelan oil.
The remarks followed U.S. outreach to Indian officials, indicating that New Delhi could soon resume Venezuelan oil imports to help replace declining purchases of Russian crude, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Washington has been urging India to scale back Russian oil imports as part of efforts to limit Moscow’s revenue during the Ukraine war.
India has pledged to cut Russian crude purchases after the United States raised tariffs linked to those imports. Industry sources say India’s Russian oil intake is expected to fall from about 1.2 million barrels per day in January to below one million barrels per day in the coming months.
Trump had imposed a 25 percent tariff in March 2025 on countries buying Venezuelan oil, including India, as his administration intensified pressure on the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Last week, Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India is diversifying its crude supply sources as Russian imports decline.
Why it matters now: The shift highlights Washington’s push to curb oil revenues flowing to Russia and Iran while reshaping global energy trade through sanctions and strategic supply realignments.
Published on Chatzyr.net
Written By Editorial Desk | Team Chatzyr
