US understands India's policy on Iran: Blake

A top Barack Obama administration official said on Wednesday that the United States and India understand each other's policy and concerns on Iran despite differences on the issue, even as he praised New Delhi's strong stand against Tehran's nuclear programme at International Atomic Energy Agency.

"I think we have come to quite a good understanding of where we stand on this very, very important issue for both of us," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake said.

"This was a subject of conversation during the Strategic Dialogue but has also been a continuing part of our conversation in every meeting that we have with our Indian friends," he said.

"From our perspective, the most important thing has been India's strong support in, first, observing all of the United Nations Security Council obligations, but also the very important votes that it has taken in the IAEA, taking a strong stand against Iran's nuclear weapons programme," Blake said.

"India has explained to us that it has important links with Iran, first of all because its transit into Afghanistan is closed by Pakistan so it must use Iran to get many of its goods, and indeed people, into Afghanistan through Iran. So that's a very important part of their relations," he observed.

"The Indians also have a small but influential Shia community inside India, which can be an important swing vote in Indian elections. So they do have these civilisational ties that they talk about," he noted.

"So I think we understand the interest that India has in Iran, but we also go to great lengths to explain our concerns and to make sure that, again, we're not crossing any of each other's red lines," he added.

"And so far, I think we've managed that conversation pretty well. But again, this is going to be a very important priority for the United States," Blake said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said at the Council on Foreign Relations -- a Washington-based think-tank -- that India does not support the nuclear weapon ambitions of Iran.

"Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. As such, it has all the rights that go with this membership of the NPT, that is use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes," he said.

"At the same time, it has obligations that go with its membership, and this rules out the nuclear weapon part. So there is no ambiguity in our position. We are quite clear in our thinking that Iran should not go the nuclear weapon path. That is inconsistent with its obligation as a member of the NPT," he said.