Trump Rejects India’s R-Day Invitation over Iran, S-400 Deal

TEHRAN (defapress) – US President Donald Trump has rejected India’s invitation as the guest of honor for the country's next Republic Day on January 26, 2019 over South Asian country’s defense purchases from Russia and oil imports from Iran, the White House said.

News ID: 73343

Date: 28 October 2018 - 15:47

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders affirmed that Trump received an invitation to visit India in early August, though the final decision has not been announced yet.

According to Indian sources, for the last several weeks US officials have repeatedly made it clear that the visit will be delayed, Sputnik reported.

The US authorities conveyed Trump's decision in a letter to NSA Ajit Doval.

The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy in New Delhi have not yet made any official statements on the matter.

The information about Trump's refusal to visit India has appeared amid lingering disagreements over a number of issues between the two countries, including the rejection of Iranian oil supplies, which Washington is actively trying to impose on New Delhi, as well as Russian S-400 missile systems' deliveries to India, strongly disapproved of by the US.

US government officials have previously warned that India could face secondary sanctions if the country goes ahead with its decision to purchase S-400 systems from Russia.

Message end/