The U.S. Urges Allies to Reduce Oil Imports from Iran to Zero by November

A senior U.S. State Department official said on Tuesday, July 5, that countries buying Iranian oil must stop all imports from the country starting in November (Aban 13) when U.S. sanctions against Tehran are resumed. In response to a question about whether the U.S. is pressuring its allies to reduce oil imports from Iran to zero by November, the official said, "Yes." The unnamed official added in a conversation with reporters, "Our goal is to stop Iran's revenue streams and highlight its harmful actions in the region." He mentioned that a delegation of U.S. officials would travel to Gulf countries next week to ensure that the global market does not face shortages following the cessation of Iranian oil exports. The U.S. official warned foreign capitals that Washington would not consider any exemptions for countries importing oil from Iran and described the intensification of sanctions against Iran as "one of the main national security priorities" of the United States. Last year, Iran exported 2.125 million barrels of crude oil and about 400,000 barrels of gas condensate daily. About one-third of these shipments went to Europe, while the rest reached Iran's Asian customers, including China, India, South Korea, and Japan. These figures have continued at similar levels for the first half of this year. According to the latest assessment by the International Monetary Fund, published before the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, Iran had nearly $50 billion in oil exports last year, and it was expected that this figure would rise to $63.7 billion this year, accounting for nearly 60% of the country's total exports. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, officially announced on May 8 that the United States would withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran and reinstate suspended sanctions against Tehran. The U.S. is exerting pressure on European and Asian countries, particularly India, Japan, and China, to reduce their trade relations with Iran and cut oil imports from the country. European powers say they want to preserve the JCPOA and are trying to negotiate a set of concessions for Iran to obtain exemptions from the U.S. for continuing their business activities with Tehran, but this U.S. official confirmed that the 180-day deadline for reinstating sanctions against Iran is coming to an end. He emphasized, "I am reluctant to say that there will be zero exemptions from sanctions," but then stated that the official position is: "No, there will be no exemptions." The official added, "I don't think the Japanese will react differently from other countries importing oil from Iran." He mentioned that he would soon travel to China and India to discuss this issue. The U.S. State Department official clarified, "This is a challenge for them; this is not something that countries importing oil from Iran want to do voluntarily, but you know we are asking them to change their policies." He said, "China and India? Yes, certainly their companies will be subject to the same sanctions that apply to others. We will definitely demand that they reduce their oil imports from Iran to zero." These statements come as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Tehran would overcome U.S. sanctions. He accused the Americans of launching a "psychological, economic, and political war" against Iran and tried to assure the people that after the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, his government would have no problem meeting the basic needs of the people. Rouhani stated, "Many essential goods like wheat, oil, and sugar are either produced sufficiently domestically or have been adequately supplied and stored, and there is no cause for concern. If there is a need for any goods, they will be imported immediately."