TEHRAN (Shana) -- Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said on Sunday that the recent incidents concerning oil vessels had not impacted Iran’s oil exports yet.
Speaking to reporters, Zangeneh said that oil tankers and export of oil is one of the issues in which "we have limitations and the U.S. and its allies have caused restrictions for us and we have to be sensitive.”
Zangeneh further stressed that no country could replace Iran’s oil in the market.
Earlier this month, Britain’s naval forces unlawfully seized Iranian-owned oil tanker Grace 1 and its cargo of 2.1 million barrels of oil in the Strait of Gibraltar, under the pretext that the supertanker had been suspected of carrying crude to Syria in violation of the European Union’s unilateral sanctions against the Arab country.
Reports, however, said the confiscation took place at the request of the U.S., Presstv reported.
Tehran has condemned the seizure as "maritime piracy,” warning that it would not go unanswered. It has also rejected London’s claim that the ship had been bound for Syria.
****Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh