'US has not threatened India with sanctions for having economic relations with Iran'

New Delhi: The US has not threatened to impose sanctions on India for having economic relations with Iran, parliament was told on Thursday.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna said "the government of India implements its obligations under the UN Security Council Resolution on Iran".

Stating that India is "bound by UN sanctions" on Iran, he said unilateral sanctions imposed by countries or group of countries "should not impact legitimate trade relations with Iran".

"India's crude imports from Iran are guided by its energy security and take into account its oil requirement, multilateral sanctions, conditions in financial and energy markets, and security and stability in different oil-producing regions of the world".

"India and United States have regular dialogue on bilateral cooperation and all global and regional issues of mutual interest. In these meeting, the two sides have had candid and constructive discussions on issues related to Iran and broader West Asian region," he said.

"India and United States remain committed to strengthening their strategic partnership," he added.