Iran is exporting crude oil to 17 countries, says minister

Iran is selling crude oil to 17 countries, Oil Minister Javad Owji was quoted as saying by the semi-official Mehr News Agency on Tuesday. This, said Reuters, indicates that some states may not be honouring US sanctions.

“We sell our oil wherever we want to. In fact, we export to 17 countries, including [countries in] Europe,” said Owji in a video shared by the agency when asked about foreign reports that European countries are importing Iranian crude oil. He added that he could not provide additional details regarding the amounts sold or the identity of the buyers due to the sensitivity of the subject.

Washington re-imposed sanctions on Tehran in 2018, after Donald Trump withdrew unilaterally from the 2015 nuclear pact that allowed Iran to sell its oil in exchange for constraints on its nuclear programme.

Subsequently, Iran’s list of crude buyers fell sharply, with most of its exports then directed to China and smaller quantities to regional ally Syria.

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