TEHRAN: Iran’s Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said Saturday that Iran will definitely stop its oil exports to certain European countries, Xinhua news agency reported.
Qasemi did not identify the countries but his remarks came after the European Union (EU) leaders endorsed last Monday the latest restrictive sanction measures on Iran’s oil exports adopted by the EU foreign ministers on Jan 23.
During a press conference on Saturday he called on the EU states to review their decision on the oil embargo on Iran, saying that EU states’ oil imports from the Islamic republic comprised just 18 percent of its total oil exports.
Late in January, Qasemi said that according to the Iranian Oil Ministry’s future plans, “we will cut our exports to certain countries” in response to EU’s recent oil embargo against Iran.
He said that less than 20 percent of Iran’s oil exports are destined for Europe and the EU sanctions will take a heavy toll on the European people, adding that the embargo would not create a problem for Iran’s oil exports even if sales to Europe were halted. –Bernama