UPDATE 3-Trump says India will buy oil from Venezuela, not Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said India will buy Venezuelan oil, as opposed ‌to purchasing oil from Iran. Trump's comments on Saturday appeared to reflect continued improvement in U.S.-India relations, which have been tense throughout the past ⁠year. Trump also said China could make a deal with the U.S. to buy Venezuelan oil.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said India will buy Venezuelan oil, as opposed ‌to purchasing oil from Iran. "We've already made that deal, the concept of the deal," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as ⁠he traveled to his vacation home in Florida from Washington.

Reuters reported on Friday that the United States has told Delhi it could soon resume purchases of Venezuelan oil to help replace imports of Russian oil, ​citing three people familiar with the matter. India has not been importing significant amounts of Iranian oil ‍due to U.S. sanctions, but became a major buyer of Russian oil after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered Western sanctions that drove down its price.

Trump in August doubled duties on imports from India to 50% to pressure ⁠New Delhi ‌to stop buying Russian ⁠oil, and earlier this month said the rate could rise again if it did not curb its purchases. However, Treasury Secretary ‍Scott Bessent signaled in January that the additional 25% tariff on Indian goods could be removed, given what ​he called a sharp reduction in Indian imports of Russian oil.

Trump in March 2025 also ⁠imposed a 25% tariff on countries buying Venezuelan oil, including India. The U.S. government this week lifted some sanctions on Venezuela's ⁠oil industry to make it easier for U.S. companies to sell its crude oil. Trump's comments on Saturday appeared to reflect continued improvement in U.S.-India relations, which have been tense throughout the past ⁠year.

Trump also said China could make a deal with the U.S. to buy Venezuelan oil. "China is welcome ⁠to come in ‌and would make a great deal on oil," Trump said, without providing any details.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)