Mumbai: Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon and that remains a "red line" for the United States, America's Ambassador to India Sergio Gor asserted on Wednesday as Washington and Tehran remain locked in a diplomatic and military stalemate to end the conflict in West Asia.
Hitting out at Iran for blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping route, Gor insisted US President Donald Trump does not let individuals hold the world hostage.
Replying to a question at an event at Citi's 2026 India Conference in Mumbai, the Ambassador said after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran more than three months ago, the Islamic Republic attacked its neighbours and also Gulf states like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Iran also attacked Azerbaijan and Turkey and all that was a "very reckless move", he insisted.
Gor said Iran fired rockets and imagine the consequences if they were nuclear weapons.
"And that has been the red line for the United States -- that Iran will not have any nuclear weapon," he emphasised.
Iran's nuclear programme remains a critical deadlock in negotiations to end the ongoing conflict.
The West Asia crisis began on February 28 after a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran. The conflict not only engulfed the region, but also led to significant spike in prices of hydrocarbons and disruption in global energy supplies.
On energy crisis due to the conflict, the US envoy said there's only one country that is blocking the Strait of Hormuz, and that is Iran. Not only are they blocking the strait, but also holding the world hostage.
"These (Strait of Hormuz) are international waters, ships, that have nothing to do with this conflict," he said.
"This president (Trump) does not let individuals hold the world hostage. Sooner or later, something will happen over there, but it's the irresponsibility of the Iranian regime, it's not something that this president will allow to continue," Gor warned.
