Days after the US introduced its latest economic sanctions Iran’s Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi hit out at the West, saying there was no justification for its continued use of such harsh measures. Tehran had refrained from using oil as a political weapon; so the West should have done the same, he says.
“Unfortunately, political interference in the Middle East has brought instability to the region… Since 2011, unilateral sanctions have been placed on Iran by Europe and the US,” the minister said, according to the oil ministry’s Shana news agency. “What is important to note is that oil has in this instance been used as a form of political leverage. What justification is there? Is the use of this ‘oil weapon’ by consumers allowed? Do producers not have any say in this matter?” he told an Energy Security conference in Frankfurt on 10 July. (CONTINUED - 672 WORDS)
