Minister: Oil exports set record in past 14 months despite western bans
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad announced on Wednesday that the export of the country’s petroleum set a record in the past 14 months despite relentless attempts by the West to curb the Islamic Republic’s oil sales.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a weekly cabinet meeting, Paknejad said the sale of Iranian oil continues as in the past but no figures and statistics can be provided due to security concerns and confidentiality of the matter.
“The process of oil sales forges ahead as in the past. Somehow, we cannot divulge the mechanism behind the national petroleum exports as ‘disloyal ears’ outside the country seeking to harm Iran’s national interests would hear and identify the merits of our oil sales,” the minister said, adding, “The volume of our oil sales has in the past 14 months registered a record in the form of export loadings.”
Pointing to the restrictions on the Iranian oil sales, Paknejad underlined that the latest US tariff as well as the ‘snapback’ regime of sanctions failed to bring about serious curb on the country’s oil exports as the Iranian petroleum industry “knows well” how to circumnavigate and confront such restrictions.
Paknejad’s announcement came a day after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25-percent tariff on Iran’s trade partners — in an oblique caveat particularly directed at China, which itself strongly threw shade at the anti-Tehran move.