Amid US sanctions, and growing tension between US and Iran, Iranon Tuesday said it believes India will act in its national interest on theissue of oil imports and Tehran can act as a "protector" of India'senergy security.

Iran's Ambassador to India Ali Chegeni asserted that hiscountry can provide "affordability, accessibility and security" ofenergy to India.

The Iranian envoy also stressed on the possibility of usingbarter, rupee and European mechanisms for trade in oil with India and othercountries to circumvent the US sanctions.

His remarks are significant as they come days after USSecretary of State Mike Pompeo had assured India that America is "doingeverything" to ensure crude oil imports to New Delhi in the wake of thesituation arising out of sanctions on importing oil from Iran.

"We expect from a friend…that we understand eachother, follow our national interest and Iran is ready for being the protectorof energy security of India," he told reporters on the sidelines of aIran-India cultural event here. Chegeni said probably the oil import may havebeen stopped but Iran had not got any "negative signal" from Indiathat they would do so in future.

"We think India is under pressure, but we believe Indiais a friend of Iran. India's relations with other countries do not affect us.Our relations with India are based on history, it is based on long-term mutualbenefit and interest," the envoy said. The US had told India and othercountries to cut oil imports from the Gulf nation to "zero" byNovember 4 or face sanctions.