Iran Denies Exports of Crude Oil to North Korea

"I categorically deny exports of crude oil to North Korea," Deputy Oil Minister for International and Commercial Affairs Ali Majedi told the Tasnim News Agency on Sunday.

However, on the sidelines of the 18th International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition held in April 2013, Former Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi had announced that the country would export crude oil to North Korea.

“We have had, and continue to have, negotiations with the North Koreans who have requested to buy Iranian oil. We are discussing the procedure and we do not have any problem selling them oil,” Qasemi said at the time.

Earlier, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh had told reporters that the Geneva Agreement (signed last November between Iran and the world powers) makes no mention of limits on Iran’s crude oil exports.

“Iran has made no agreement in Geneva on the level of (its) oil exports. We will not accept any limitations on our oil exports dictated by others,” he stated on the sidelines of his visit to the 19th International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition in Tehran on Thursday.

Namdar Zanganeh reiterated that Iran will supply its crude oil to the market at the maximum level possible.

Meantime, Iran’s crude oil exports have reached 1.2 million barrels per day.