According To Iran News, Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri highlighted the country’s success in countering the US sanctions and said the Islamic Republic is selling its oil despite the embargoes on the oil sector.

The US government thought it was able to cut Iran’s oil exports to zero but the Islamic Republic sells its oil in various ways even though its neighbors and close international friends did not dare to buy the Iranian oil, Jahangiri said in a speech on Monday.

He further said nearly two years have passed since the new round of pressures on Iran as the US president has declared that the sanctions would largely affect the Iranian nation.

US officials are clearly speaking of an economic war against Iran and the Iranian people, the first vice-president said, adding that they wrongly thought they would be able to pave the ground for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.

However, despite the pressures of sanctions and economic war, Iran managed to “keep itself on its feet”, he went on to say.

The remarks come against the backdrop of increased tensions between Iran and the US with Washington imposing new sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

The US has ratcheted up pressure on Iran since last year after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Since then, the administration of US President Donald Trump is trying to reduce Iran’s oil exports to “zero,” and has sent an aircraft carrier strike group, a bomber squad, an amphibious assault ship, and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to try to stack up pressure on Tehran.

Iranian officials, however, have dismissed such moves as psychological warfare, saying the country has its own ways of circumventing the American bans.

The post Iran Selling Oil despite US Sanctions appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Iran had not undertaken any commitment, so by selling Iranian oil to private company even if it is transferred to Syria, the EU cannot accuse Iran of breaching its official position, Baeedinejad wrote on his Twitter page on Sunday.

He reiterated that Picardo’s remarks are exactly the same as Iran’s stances.

The envoy expressed happiness that it is now clear to everyone that by Iran’s commitments, the UK meant those official remarks and the official written note of the Iranian diplomatic mission.

Earlier, Western media quoted Picardo as saying, “You can see from the images that the oil has ended up in Syria, but that’s not to say that there’s a breach of the undertaking [by Iran].”

He added, “We did not have an undertaking that the oil would not end up in Syria.”

Baeedinejad had earlier said in a message that the supertanker Adrian Darya’s cargo had been sold to a private company and has been delivered at sea, adding that its owner will identify its destination.

He referred to his meeting with the top UK diplomat, saying the UK’s measures against Adrian Darya were against international regulations.

The EU sanctions cannot be extended to third countries, he added.

Despite, the U.S. threats, oil tanker sold its oil to a private company and has violated no rule, he reiterated.

On July 4, Britain’s naval forces unlawfully seized supertanker Adrian Darya 1, then known as Grace 1, and its cargo in the Strait of Gibraltar on the pretext that it had been suspected of carrying crude to Syria in violation of the European Union’s unilateral sanctions against the Arab country.

Tehran, however, rejected London’s claim about the tanker’s destination and slammed the seizure as “piracy.”

According to Spain’s Foreign Ministry, the UK had seized the vessel at the request of the U.S., which has been trying to trouble Iran’s international oil vessels as part of its campaign of economic pressure against the Islamic Republic.

Late last month, the United States blacklisted the vessel and put its captain on the sanctions list, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

A report by The Financial Times revealed on September 4 that four days before the U.S. imposed sanctions on the tanker, the vessel’s Indian captain received an unusual email from Brian Hook, the U.S. special representative for Iran at the Department of State.

On September 7, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif posted a tweet where he asked his American counterpart Mike Pompeo if extortion meant “offering bribes for theft of oil & designating those who refuse?”

On September 6, Head of Iran’s Civil Defense Organization Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali said that the U.S. is not as strong as it has been instilled in the minds of some people, adding that Washington is even unable to detain the Iranian-flagged oil tanker which was at the time sailing near the waters of the occupied Palestine.

“America’s power is not as much as it has been said to us. Because if it was so, then Adrain Darya 1 was not wandering around the occupied Palestine,” Jalali said, casting doubt on Washington’s self-proclamation as the world’s superpower.

The post Iranian supertanker’s oil sold to private entity: official appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Following is the text of the interview:

Q: There are reports of talks between the UAE and Iran and Saudi Arabia’s willingness to talk with Iran on behalf of the US. These reports refer to the recent agreement between Tehran and Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia’s willingness to negotiate with Iran. Is this initiative designed by the US?

A: I think the UAE is talking to Iran because it wants to withdraw from the Yemen debacle and slowly reduce its collaboration with MBS. But if Saudi Arabia is talking with Iran, I think that it is a Saudi initiative. They don’t want to be seen as talking with Iran so they may be saying it is on behalf of the US. I think it would be very dangerous for the US, and indeed for the region, if Saudi Arabia was so designated by the US. Saudi leadership is out of control and they represent the personal interest of MBS. They could say and do things that brings the region into armed conflict.

Q: Following the US embargo on Iran’s oil, some have speculated that the market vacuum is being mainly supplied by Aramco. Can Aramco replace Iranian Oil?

A: Yes, I believe Saudi Arabia could conceivably ramp up to make up for Iranian oil. But today, I believe that this is also being done by US shale, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi. That is why oil prices have not spiked.

Q: How do you assess the future of the Saudi economy, given that the Saudi economy is heavily dependent on oil?

A: Well, you are right. Saudi Arabia is still an oil economy—crude oil, some refined products and petrochemicals. They need to diversify. MBS thinks his 2030 plan will do it but it will not be easy. The Saudi work force has to readjust to no handouts or subsidies but instead education and hard work. But how can you ask the average Saudi to adjust so when the Al-Sauds and their cronies take what they want and live in obscene luxury?

Q: What are the structural weaknesses in the Saudi economy that could threaten its economic outlook?

A: It is an oil economy with a population that has been raised on subsidies. You can only change things and ask people to change if the Al-Sauds and the Saudi elite are willing to change and give up their preferred access to government or public resources.

The post UAE is talking to Iran because it wants to withdraw from the Yemen debacle: Askari appeared first on Iran News Daily.

“Everyone is well-aware that if it was possible for the Americans to drive Iran’s oil exports to zero, they would have done so in the previous years,” Mehmanparast argued.

He added that the U.S. is merely waging a psychological war against the Iranian nation through such declarations.

The post U.S. unable to zero out Iran’s oil exports: ex-diplomat appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The post Iranian oil exports rise to pre-sanctions level: Platts appeared first on Iran News Daily.

According to data released by online monitoring service TankerTrackers.com, the volume is based on the first 13 days of the month, due to delays caused by AIS manipulation during maritime transportation.

In September, an average of 2 million bpd was tracked by the service.

In the period of Oct. 1-13, the OPEC member exported 28.64 million barrels, according to TankerTrackers.com.

As U.S. sanctions against Tehran approach, the world is closely watching what is already happening and what may come after Nov. 4 – the deadline for countries/companies to halt business with Iran. The Trump administration has vowed to reduce to zero Iranian exports and apply harsh secondary sanctions on those who continue purchasing Iranian oil.

The data showed China remains Iran’s largest buyer – taking some 877,239 bpd, or 39.83% of the total exports in the period. India followed, importing some 707,922 bpd, or 32.14% of sales.

The post Iran’s oil exports total 2.2m bpd in first 2 weeks of Oct. appeared first on Iran News Daily.