India allocated no funds for the Chabahar port in its 2026 budget for the first time, as confirmed by WIONews and Sidhant on X at approximately 9:00 AM UTC on February 1, 2026, during the 29-minute reporting window from 8:45:51 AM to 9:15:46 AM UTC. This decision comes amid U.S. President Donald Trump's sanctions on Iran, with the project waiver ending soon. Sidhant highlighted this as the biggest geopolitical news from the Indian budget, noting India had already transferred its full committed USD 120 million to Iran, with the last tranche in August 2025, according to the WIONews report published this morning. The omission aligns with the recently announced 2026-2027 defence budget of ₹784,678.28 crore, which included revisions like the Indian Air Force allocation increasing to ₹72,000 crore from ₹48,000 crore, as reported earlier today. No specific allocation for Chabahar Port was confirmed in budget documents, per Sidhant, building on prior confirmations from the morning's budget announcement. This development occurs against the backdrop of intensified Balochistan conflict, where the Baloch Liberation Army maintained control in Noshki and parts of Quetta as of reports up to 8:45 AM UTC.
