A number of regional countries such as Pakistan, Georgia and some other Arab countries have asked the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to oppose the increasing of sanctions against Iran, Chairman of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (ICCIM) Mohammad Nahavandian said Monday.
Nahavandian said the call was made in the final statement of the Fourth Regional Meeting for the Broader Middle East and North Africa International Chamber of Commerce in Tbilisi, Georgia in late May.
He further downplayed recent sanctions against the Iranian oil sector and said the countries who have imposed such embargoes will not achieve their “declared political objectives.”
“Westerners were not the only buyers for the Iranian oil and there are other customers across the world who want to buy our country’s crude either directly or indirectly,” Nahavandian said.
On January 23, under pressure from the United States, the European Union foreign ministers approved new sanctions mainly against Tehran’s oil and banking sectors. The sanctions came into force on Sunday.
Later in March, the US administration approved new embargoes on the Iranian crude, which aim to penalize other countries for buying or selling the country’s oil. The bans took effect on June 28.
The sanctions by the US and EU are meant to pressure the Islamic Republic over its nuclear energy program, which Washington, Israel and some of their allies claim includes a military aspect.
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