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Plan to ‘zero’ Iran oil exports ‘has failed’
Iran
tHE Us plan to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero has failed, Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahang- iri was quoted as saying on December 2 by state tV.
that meant that Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign spearheaded by crush- ing sanctions aimed at tehran has also failed, Jahangiri.
“Despite America’s pressure ... and its imposed sanctions on our oil exports, we still continue to sell our oil by using other means ... when even friendly countries have stopped pur- chasing our crude fearing America’s penalties,” the vice president said.
Us President Donald trump and his officials are attempting to throttle Iran’s economy to the point where tehran will be pressured to come to the negotiating table and accept a toughened up version of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers under which tehran would see further curbs on its nuclear development programme, restrictions introduced on its bal- listic missile development programme and the banning of military backing for certain militia groups in Middle East conflict zones.
Washington has been attempting to halt all Iranian oil exports since May.
But, without disclosing any details of to whom Iran is still managing to sell oil, Jahangiri said: “They have failed to bring our oil exports to zero as planned.”
Most analysts believe the attacks on oil tank- ers in the Gulf region seen this year, as well as the drone and missile attack on saudi Arabia’s main oil processing installation, were secretly master- minded by tehran to place pressure on the Us sanctions strategy aimed at Iran and countries
and countries that back the strategy.
Iran denies such claims but, in response, the
Us, UK and other countries have been attempt- ing to beef up naval patrols of the Persian Gulf, strait of Hormuz and sea of Oman.
November 30, meanwhile saw the com- mander of Iran’s navy confirm that his forces will participate in joint exercises in the northern Indian Ocean with Russia and China—two of the remaining signatories of the nuclear deal, along with Iran, the UK, France and Germany— starting in three weeks.
Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said the manoeuvres would be held from December 22 to January 20.
some media reports have said the manoeu- vres would be in the sea of Oman.
“The aim of those exercises is to ensure col- lective security and help boost the security in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, where various incidents, including pirate attacks, are taking place,” Iran’s tasnim news agency quoted the admiral as saying.
two days earlier, Khanzadi said the exercises would “send a message to the world,” according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.
“A joint war game between several countries, whether on land, at sea, or in the air, indicates a remarkable expansion of cooperation.”
“[The manoeuvres] carry the same message to the world, that these three countries have reached a meaningful strategic point in their relations,” he added.
Russian Foreign Minister sergei Lavrov on October 2 said the countries were planning exercises drawn up to train for anti-terror and anti-piracy missions.™
Week 48 04•December•2019 w w w . N E W S B A S E . c o m P11