“U.S. spent months bullying India to end Russian oil imports,” says Iran FM Araghchi
Tehran: Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the United States over its changing stance on Russian oil, saying Washington is now urging countries including India to buy Russian crude after earlier pressuring them to stop such imports.
In a post on the social media platform X, Araghchi wrote, “The U.S. spent months on bullying India into ending oil imports from Russia. After two weeks of war with Iran, White House is now begging the world—incl India—to buy Russian crude. Europe thought backing illegal war on Iran would win U.S. support against Russia. Pathetic.”
Araghchi also shared a photo of a report published by the Financial Times which stated that Russia is earning around 150 million dollars a day in extra revenue due to the surge in oil prices.
His remarks came after the United States earlier this month issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to purchase Russian oil despite sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine.
Global oil markets have remained volatile since the tensions in the region began.
According to a report by the Financial Times, Russia is earning as much as 150 million dollars a day in extra budget revenues from oil sales, making it one of the biggest beneficiaries of the conflict in the Middle East.
The report added that Moscow has earned an estimated 1.3 billion dollars to 1.9 billion dollars windfall from taxes on oil exports after the closure of the ‘Strait of Hormuz’ led to rising demand for Russian crude from India and China.
Meanwhile a report by the The Times of India stated that India’s oil purchases from Russia increased by nearly 45 percent in March, rising from around 1 million barrels per day (mbd) in February to 1.5 mbd in the first 11 days of the month.
The U.S. spent months on bullying India into ending oil imports from Russia. After two weeks of war with Iran, White House is now begging the world—incl India—to buy Russian crude.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 13, 2026
Europe thought backing illegal war on Iran would win U.S. support against Russia.
Pathetic. pic.twitter.com/fbkrXpXa9P
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Trump rushed out of dinner event after shots fired; one arrested
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump and other top White House officials were evacuated unharmed from the annual dinner of White House correspondents after a man armed with multiple weapons fired shots outside the ballroom of the hotel.
The incident took place at around 8:34 PM local time when dinner was served. At that time, Trump was seen having a conversation with Weijia Jiang, the President of the White House Correspondents' Association, and mentalist Oz Pearlman, who was scheduled to present a show at the marquee event at the Washington Hilton here.
Secret Service officials and other security personnel covered the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J D Vance, and the Second Lady Usha Vance, who were seated at the head table, and escorted them out of the ballroom.
Several guests at the dinner, including leaders across the political spectrum, journalists and other invitees, ducked under the table, apparently as a reflex reaction.
Putting up a brave face, President Trump later announced on Truth Social that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom is all that I heard, and many guests ducked under the table,” a C-SPAN reporter at the dinner said.
Hours later, Trump addressed a press conference at the White House and announced that the security personnel had captured one person who hails from California.
“I heard a noise and sort of thought it was a tray going down. I've heard that many times. It was a pretty loud noise, and it was from quite far away. He (the attacker) hadn't reached the area at all. They really got him,” Trump told reporters, recalling the incident.
Trump said one security officer was shot at but saved as he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Several protestors had lined up on the road outside the hotel, raising slogans against the Trump administration and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A CNN reporter who was outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton said he saw a gunman opening fire just a few feet away. He was among the dozens of attendees who took cover as law enforcement swarmed the venue.
The suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California.
Asked how Saturday’s incident impacts him as the US president, Trump told reporters he is in a dangerous job but that he is no “basket case.”
“I like not to think about it. I lead a pretty normal life, considering, you know, it’s a dangerous life. I think I handle it as well as it can be handled,” Trump said.
Trump has survived two assassination attempts over the past two years – first at a presidential election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and later in Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024.
“I will say you had Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives...everybody in that room, big crowd, record-setting crowd,” he said.
“We had some great work done by law enforcement, but in light of this evening's events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts in resolving our differences peacefully,” Trump said.
