Gov’t spokesman: Iran in talks with Europe to continue oil sales
Iranian officials are holding talks with their counterparts from different states to find ways to bypass US sanctions following its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, said government spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht.
“In addition to the EU, we are improving relations with other countries, particularly our neighbors,” Nobakht told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday, referring to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s visit to India and his own recent trip to Thailand, Fars News Agency reported.
Asked about efforts to sell Iran’s crude after re-imposition of US sanctions, he said, “A major part of the oil is sold to India and China. We are also in talks with Europe to continue oil sales to them, and Iran’s increased oil sales to them has even been under discussion with them to compensate any drop if some states decrease oil imports (from Iran).”
In remarks on Tuesday, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj underlined that her country will continue to trade with Iran despite the re-imposition of US sanctions against Tehran.
“India follows only UN sanctions and not unilateral sanctions by any country,” Swaraj told reporters when asked about New Delhi’s response to the US decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear agreement and re-impose sanctions against Tehran.
Swaraj reiterated that her country’s position was ‘independent’ of any other country and would not make foreign policy ‘under pressure’.
US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was reached between Iran and the P5+1 (the US, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany).
Iran and India have deep relations in political and economic sectors. Tehran is one of New Delhi’s top oil suppliers.
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in its latest monthly report issued in mid-may, said that Iran’s oil production, based on secondary sources, exceeded 3.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in April — rising 10,000 bpd from that of March.
The Iranian government said revenues from oil exports during March 21-April 20, 2018 indicated a 99.96-percent increase compared to the figure for the same period last year.