US sanctions

Mojtaba Ali Khamenei has been viewed as "a combination of aide-de-camp, confidant, gatekeeper and power broker," in Iran.

The only thing more glaring here than the obvious lie that the US controls India’s oil purchases is the sheer hypocrisy of the US government to insinuate that their sanctions are a blessing for the world, and when they pretend to un-sanction their own sanctions, it is again for the benefit of the world.

In the background, the Modi–Jaishankar doctrine is evident. Multi-alignment, not non-alignment, strategic autonomy without yelling anti-West slogans, and a determined unwillingness to let either Washington or Beijing dictate whom India may cooperate with. This is as much about avoiding overdependence on China as it is about rejecting Western pressure.

India and Russia continue to have deeper energy links that are structural rather than transactional. While Rosneft owns over 49% of Nayara Energy's Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, Indian PSUs possess nearly half of Rosneft's Vankorneft subsidiary, a substantial investment in Taas Yuryakh, and a longstanding position in the Sakhalin-1 project.