India will buy Venezuelan oil instead of Iranian crude, Trump claims.
India no longer imports meaningful Iranian oil due to U.S. sanctions, despite Iran once being a major crude supplier.
U.S. President Donald Trump has triggered fresh political and diplomatic debate after claiming that India will buy oil from Venezuela instead of Iran, a statement that has drawn sharp reactions at home and raised questions about New Delhi’s actual energy strategy.
Trump made the remarks on Saturday while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he travelled from Washington, DC, to Florida. During the interaction, he suggested that India was already moving away from Iranian oil and would instead turn to Venezuela, presenting it as part of a broader understanding shaped by U.S. policy.
We’ve already made a deal. He added that this was already the “concept of the deal,” even though no official confirmation has come from the Indian government.
The claim, however, sits awkwardly with the current reality of India’s oil imports. India does not import significant quantities of crude oil from Iran due to long-standing U.S. sanctions. Before those sanctions were imposed and later tightened, Iran was among India’s top crude suppliers, playing a crucial role in meeting the country’s energy needs. That relationship largely came to a halt as Indian refiners complied with U.S. restrictions to avoid penalties and financial risks.
Trump’s comments quickly became fodder for political sparring in India. The Congress party seized on the remarks to question the government’s handling of foreign policy and its engagement with the United States. Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh shared an audio clip of Trump’s statement on social media and mocked the pattern he saw emerging.
Beyond India-Iran dynamics, Trump’s remarks also tie into his broader and controversial statements on Venezuela. He has claimed that he is effectively “running” Venezuela and has said he allowed captured president Nicolás Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to act as interim leader, provided she follows U.S. demands. Central to those demands, according to Trump, is granting the United States access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
These comments reflect Trump’s tendency to blur lines between diplomacy, pressure tactics and political messaging. While Washington has adjusted its stance on Venezuelan oil at various points, the idea that India has already committed to replacing Iranian crude with Venezuelan supplies remains unverified.
In practice, India’s oil import strategy has focused on diversification. Over recent years, Indian refiners have sourced crude from a wide range of countries, including the Middle East, the United States, Africa and, notably, Russia. Discounted Russian oil became a major component of India’s import basket following Western sanctions on Moscow, helping India manage costs while maintaining energy security.
Venezuelan oil is not unfamiliar to Indian refiners. Before sanctions severely restricted trade, Venezuela was once a significant supplier, especially for complex Indian refineries designed to handle heavy crude. However, sanctions, payment challenges and logistical hurdles have made sustained imports difficult. Any large-scale resumption would depend on clear policy signals, commercial viability and geopolitical calculations.
Meanwhile, diplomatic engagement between India and Venezuela has continued. On Friday, Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss deepening bilateral cooperation, including in energy, trade and investment. The conversation suggested an interest in keeping channels open, though it stopped short of announcing any concrete oil purchase agreement.
For now, Trump’s claim appears more declarative than definitive. While it underscores Washington’s desire to redirect global energy flows away from Iran, it does not reflect an announced shift in India’s policy. As with many of Trump’s statements, it has generated headlines and political reactions, but the real test will be whether it translates into actual contracts and tankers arriving at Indian ports.
Until then, India’s oil strategy remains guided by pragmatism — balancing cost, supply security and geopolitical pressures — rather than by dramatic claims made from 30,000 feet in the air.