TEHRAN – Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the U.S. won’t be able to realize the goals it’s pursuing by sanctioning Iran’s oil industry, IRIB reported.

Speaking on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the minister emphasized the need for boosting exports of oil and non-oil commodities, including petrochemicals, as the country’s most important economic strategy in countering the U.S. sanctions.

“We must take all necessary measures to pass through sanctions as we have done successfully so far,” he added.

Zanganeh further noted that Europe has not been very cooperative regarding oil imports from Iran, saying “They argue that the governments do not directly buy oil and private companies are in fact importers of oil in Europe.”

“Since most European companies have direct association with the U.S. they cannot purchase Iranian oil,” he explained.

Earlier this week, Zanganeh met with the Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak to discuss oil market, cooperation in oil and gas industry and the upcoming OPEC meeting.

“We had some positive talks regarding gas exports to Russia, and some Russian companies have already expressed readiness to collaborate in this regard”, Zanganeh said after the meeting on Monday. 

Asked about the Russian energy giant Gazprom’s collaboration in the construction of the Pakistani side of the IP gas pipeline project, the minister noted that some talks have been held but no final agreement is yet reached.

EF/MA