India to Buy Venezuelan Oil Instead of Iranian, Claims Donald Trump

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Florida on Saturday, January 31, Trump asserted that a deal—or at least the "concept of a deal"—has already been established.

“India is coming in, and they’re going to be buying Venezuelan oil as opposed to buying it from Iran. So, we’ve already made that deal, the concept of the deal,” Trump stated, adding that China is also welcome to negotiate similar arrangements for Venezuelan crude.

While India was historically one of Iran's top oil buyers, it significantly curtailed imports due to long-standing U.S. sanctions. The Trump administration is now positioning a post-Maduro Venezuela as a primary alternative. This move is seen by analysts as a strategic effort to redirect New Delhi away from sanctioned sources and reduce its reliance on Russian crude, which has faced heavy U.S. tariffs recently.

The shift follows a reported capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on January 3, 2026, after which Washington began overseeing the country's energy exports. On Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with Venezuela’s Acting President, Delcy Rodríguez, to discuss deepening bilateral cooperation in energy and trade.

Market analysts suggest that this realignment could redraw the global energy map. By facilitating India’s return to the Venezuelan market, the U.S. aims to stabilize global supply chains while maintaining its "maximum pressure" policy on Iran and Russia. New Delhi has yet to issue a formal response to President Trump's remarks.