Trump backs India-Middle East Corridor to counter Iran's grip on oil routes

US President Donald Trump has voiced support for the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC), calling it a way to steer Middle Eastern oil away from chokepoints under Iran's control.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. (AP/File)“Iran’s terrorist attacks on commercial shipping in neighbouring countries have shown the need to shift Middle East energy infrastructure away from the Iranian checkpoints. That is why my administration strongly supports the India-Middle East Economic Corridor and other places, to get oil out, whether it is pipeline or anything else. Together we are on the verge of overcoming challenges that have plagued this region for a decade,” he said.The US President made these remarks while addressing a multilateral meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council on Tuesday on the margins of the high-level UN General Assembly session in New York.His remarks came at a time when Iran has periodically threatened to shut or disrupt operations in the Strait of Hormuz – the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman — amid tensions with the West. The India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a multinational multi-modal connectivity and infrastructure initiative that was officially unveiled on September 9, 2023, during the G20 Summit in New Delhi. It is aimed at boosting connectivity, trade, and sustainability across South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.Trump said he could annihilate Iran if there is no deal to end the war, but also suggested an agreement could come soon amid a diplomatic push at the United Nations. "I have a big decision to make," Trump said in a speech at the UN General Assembly. "Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?... Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?" Iran's Armed Forces later dismissed Trump's comments at UN as "propaganda", saying their response is “full readiness to inflict more severe, crushing, and unpredictable blows on the aggressors.”