Trump Says India Will Buy Venezuelan Oil Instead of Iranian Crude, U.S. Energy Strategy Shifts

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said that India will purchase crude oil from Venezuela rather than importing petroleum from Iran, indicating a potential shift in New Delhi’s energy sourcing strategy. Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during his travel to Florida.

“We’ve already made that deal. India is coming in, and instead of purchasing oil from Iran, they will get it from Venezuela,” Trump said, adding that the framework of the agreement had already been established.

The comments come amid Washington’s larger effort to realign global oil trade flows and limit revenues reaching Russia as it continues its war in Ukraine. U.S. officials have been encouraging major oil-consuming nations, including India, to diversify their crude imports away from sanctioned suppliers.

India currently imports negligible quantities of Iranian crude due to long-standing U.S. sanctions, even though Tehran was once among New Delhi’s top oil suppliers. Indian refiners significantly reduced Iranian purchases after Washington withdrew from the nuclear deal and reimposed restrictions.

Trump’s remarks followed indications from the U.S. administration that India could soon be permitted to resume oil purchases from Venezuela, where sanctions have been selectively eased in recent months as part of broader geopolitical negotiations.

The U.S. President also said that china may participate in similar negotiations to purchase Venezuelan oil, suggesting Washington’s willingness to recalibrate its Venezuela policy in exchange for energy cooperation.

Trump has previously claimed a hands-on role in Venezuela’s political transition, allowing the country’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to act as interim leader, provided U.S. strategic interests—particularly access to oil—are addressed.

Against this backdrop, Rodríguez recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss strengthening bilateral ties in energy, trade, and investment. Both leaders agreed to work towards taking India–Venezuela relations to “new heights” in the coming years.

“This was a productive discussion focused on deepening and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors, including energy,” Modi said in a post on X following the meeting.

Historically, India accounted for nearly half of Venezuela’s total crude exports, importing hundreds of thousands of barrels per day. However, trade collapsed in the late 2010s after Washington tightened sanctions, prompting Indian companies to pull back to avoid secondary penalties.

Geopolitical and Market Implications

Energy analysts say Trump’s remarks reflect Washington’s broader strategy of redirecting oil revenues away from Russia and Iran while bringing Venezuela back into a regulated global energy framework.

However, experts caution that while Trump described the arrangement as a “deal,” no formal long-term purchase agreement has yet been publicly confirmed by Indian or Venezuelan authorities. At this stage, the move appears to be part of ongoing diplomatic and commercial discussions rather than a finalized contract.

India has been steadily diversifying its crude oil basket, increasing imports from the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America as it reduces reliance on Russian oil amid geopolitical pressure and shifting global alignments.

The remarks have also triggered political debate in India, with opposition leaders questioning why sensitive energy policy decisions were being publicly announced by a foreign leader rather than through official Indian channels.

As global energy markets remain volatile, India’s evolving oil strategy will continue to be shaped by geopolitics, sanctions regimes, and its own growing energy needs.