TEHRAN -- Iran said Monday it hopes to see U.S. sanctions eased or lifted to allow it to sell natural gas to Europe, easing the continent’s shortfall as Russian energy exports are restricted.
“Given Europe’s energy supply problems triggered by the Ukraine crisis, Iran could provide Europe’s energy needs if sanctions against it are lifted,” said foreign ministry’s spokesman Nasser Kanaani.
Iran is engaged in talks to revive its 2015 nuclear deal which the United States unilaterally abandoned in 2018, with Tehran pushing for the lifting of U.S. economic sanctions.
“We hope an agreement will be reached to let Iran play a more efficient role, with the aim of providing the energy needed for countries around the world and for European countries,” Kanaani told a weekly news conference.
Iran has the world’s second largest natural gas reserves, after Russia, but its exports are currently limited to Iraq and Turkey.
Iran and the six other parties to the 2015 nuclear accord -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- have been negotiating a return to the agreement.