Iran to Continue Oil Exports despite US Sanction: Rouhani

Rouhani said all Iranian officials unanimously agree that Washington’s decision to bring the country’s petroleum sales to zero is a wrong move.

“We won’t allow this decision to go into effect,” said Rouhani in a Tuesday meeting with workers and labourers in Tehran on the occasion of the International Labour Day.

“First of all, we are faced with an unjust and illegal US sanction whose pressure is directly exerted on our dear people, especially dear workers as well as middle- and low-income families,” the president added.

He said Washington’s decision to slap sanctions on Iran’s oil sales aims to reduce the country’s forex income.

“A major source of our foreign currency earnings has always been the sales of oil and gas condensates together with certain industries linked to oil and [natural] gas production,” President Rouhani noted.

He underlined Iran should also try to boost its non-oil exports to increase forex income.

“This is one of the steps in countering the United States,” he said.

Rouhani said the Americans will come to realize in the coming months that Iran will continue to export its oil. He said if Washington “closes one door to us,” Iran will export its petroleum through other channels.

Last Monday, US President Donald Trump said he would not renew waivers that allow eight countries to buy Iranian oil without facing Washington’s sanctions.

In a statement, the White House said the Trump administration would not reissue Significant Reduction Exceptions when they expire in early May. The statement said the move is aimed at bringing Iran’s oil exports to zero.