New Delhi: United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Thursday (Sepetember 3), said he does not believe India and Iran are currently discussing a trade deal, warning that countries helping Tehran circumvent sanctions could face the brunt of US sanctions themselves.Rubio’s remarks shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where the two leaders reportedly engaged in talks over bilateral ties, trade and the precarious security situation in West Asia.When asked about the meeting and whether India and Iran were working towards a trade agreement, Rubio remarked that he did not think there was a trade deal being deliberated between the two countries.Speaking on the ‘The Brian Kilmeade Show,’ he said the countries were free to pursue their own foreign policies and that many nations continued to maintain relations with Iran despite the months-long conflict between US and Iran.However, he reiterated Washington’s stance on countries extending help to Tehran in evading US-imposed sanctions. Rubio said countries must be mindful of not assisting Iran in generating revenue that, according to Washington, could be used to sponsor terrorism or further nuclear weaponry development.He added that countries choosing to do so could themselves face stringent US sanctions.“If countries decide to do that, they we’re going to have to sanction them too,” Rubio said.Modi, Pezeshkian discuss bilateral tradeOn Modi and Pezeshkian’s meeting in Bishkek during the SCO summit, Indian officials have said the discussions pertained to bilateral relations, trade and geopolitical developments, particularly the war raging in West Asia.Following the meeting, Modi said India wanted to strengthen its long-standing relationship with Iran, as well as diversify bilateral trade. He reasserted India’s support for dialogue and diplomacy to address the West Asian conflict.“Met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India’s long-standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors. We want to expand and diversify our trade basket in the times to come,” he wrote, in a post on X.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the meeting as “fruitful.”“Prime Minister reiterated India’s consistent position that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. Prime Minister also underlined the need for continued efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region, and for safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X.The two leaders also talked about the safety of commercial shipping and seafarers amid the West Asian conflict, along with the need to protect the freedom of navigation and commerce.Modi also conveyed India’s readiness to work with Iran through multilateral groupings, including BRICS and the SCO. He also extended an invitation to Pezeshkian for the upcoming BRICS summit, which is to be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.