An Iranian lawmaker says halting the Islamic Republic’s crude oil exports by imposing sanctions on the country's oil sector will greatly increase oil prices in international markets.

“It is certain that they (countries imposing sanctions on Iran) will face problems due to this measure because as the cold season approaches they will need Iran’s gas and oil,” Mousa Ahmadi, member of Iran Majlis (parliament) Energy Committee said on Saturday.

At the beginning of 2012, the United States and the European Union (EU) imposed new sanctions on Iran’s oil and financial sectors with the goal of preventing other countries from purchasing Iranian oil and conducting transactions with the Central Bank of Iran.

The sanctions came into force in early summer 2012. On October 15, the EU foreign ministers agreed on another round of sanctions against Iran.

The Iranian lawmaker further noted that, if Western countries continue their hostility toward Iran, the Islamic Republic will certainly stop exporting oil.


"When other countries find themselves at loss due to this measure, their public opinion will be mobilized against them (Western countries) and an important movement will take shape against them."

The illegal US-engineered sanctions were imposed based on the unfounded accusation that Iran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran rejects the allegation, arguing that as a committed signatory to Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that Iran's civilian nuclear program has been diverted toward military objectives.
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News ID 183176