Iran defies US sanctions, continues oil sales, minister says

Iran's Oil Minister, Mohsen Paknejad, asserted that the country's oil sales persist despite the "maritime blockade" imposed by the United States. He stated that Iran continues to supply oil to its customers in "distant waters," directly contradicting a recent statement by the Central Bank governor.

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I will not go into details because if this information is disclosed, this information will be misused by the enemy. So far, the process of selling oil in distant waters outside our territorial waters, meaning sales in terms of delivery to customers, continues.

Paknejad explained that while he would not reveal details of the sales to prevent adversaries from exploiting the information, the process of selling oil and delivering it to customers continues. He acknowledged that US sanctions have led to a reduction in oil exports but emphasized that the sales are ongoing.

Earlier, Iran's Central Bank Governor Abdulnaser Hemmati had declared that the country's oil exports had completely halted. Hemmati had drawn a parallel with other countries experiencing zero exports, stating, "The reality is this, but we had foreseen this."

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We will continue to follow up meticulously to take the necessary measures for the continuation of the work.

The US sanctions, described as a "maritime blockade," aim to restrict Iran's access to international shipping and markets, particularly impacting its primary oil export destination, China.

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We are exporting no oil at all. The reality is this, but we had foreseen this.