TEHRAN – Deputy director of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) said crude oil loadings and exports from the country’s ports has not been halted and the exports are ongoing just like before, ILNA reported on Saturday.

“Perhaps the destinations of oil cargoes from our ports have changed but the legal exports are ongoing,” Hadi Haqshenas said.

The official noted that the oil ministry has adopted new tactics and new destinations in shipping its oil exports following the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions, giving no details of the new tactics or destinations.

“Of course, it cannot be denied that the loading of oil and products has fallen compared to the past, but the shipping of oil cargoes from out ports has definitely not stopped,” he added.

Iranian oil industry has been under pressure from the U.S. efforts to isolate the country by reimposing sanctions. The new round of sanctions targeting Iran’s oil sector were put in action on November 4, 2018.

In late April, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration announced that Washington has decided not to extend waivers allowing major importers to continue buying oil from Iran. The waivers ended on May 2.

Earlier this month, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Amir-Hossein Zamaninia said Iran is mobilizing all its resources to sell its oil in a gray market, countering unjust and illegitimate U.S. sanctions.
“This is not smuggling. This is countering sanctions which we do not see as just or legitimate”, Zamaninia said in a conference held at the Islamic Azad University of Tehran.

EF/MA