Tehran:Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has issued a stern warning that no country in the region will be able to sell oil if Iran is prevented from doing so.
According to Anadolu Agency, Qalibaf highlighted that the United States and other nations should take seriously Iran's stance that if it cannot sell oil, no one else in the region will be able to either. This warning comes amidst severe restrictions on Iran's oil exports due to ongoing tensions with Washington and U.S. sanctions.
The situation has led to Iranian oil exports dropping to zero, as stated by Iran's Central Bank governor in August. U.S. military reports indicate that while over 1 billion barrels of crude oil have transited the Strait of Hormuz recently with U.S. military assistance, Iran has exported no oil under what Washington describes as an "ironclad blockade."
Qalibaf also cautioned that if Iran's security is not assured, no infrastructure will be considered safe. He previously warned the U.S. of potential Iranian retaliation targeting U.S. energy infrastructure around the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz if U.S. actions threaten Iran's oil and gas facilities.
The Iranian government has linked the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the fulfillment of U.S. commitments from a June memorandum of understanding, which remains stalled. Iran demands the release of frozen assets, the lifting of oil sanctions, and the end of the U.S. naval blockade, as prerequisites for reopening the strait.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned that Qatari mediators are discussing new ideas with the U.S. to meet Iran's conditions. Meanwhile, Qalibaf warns that Iran will not yield under increased U.S. economic pressures, including those on civil aviation, and vowed a swift response to any perceived threats or provocations.
The backdrop to these tensions includes a brief conflict earlier in the year between the U.S. and Israel against Iran, which ended in April with a ceasefire, followed by a memorandum concerning navigation in the Strait of Hormuz that remains unimplemented due to security disagreements.