The US on Monday asked India to "diminish" its economic relations with "nuclear outlaw" Iran and join the international community in dealing with "one of the most difficult security problems" facing the world.

US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said, "We hope that India, as well as all other states — China, Russia, France, Britain and Japan — will diminish their economic relations with Iran."

The state department official, howeve r, noted that there was nothing in the 123 agreement between India and the US to implement the bilateral civil nuclear deal that pertains directly to Iran.