News - Middle East: Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad says the country will continue to sell oil to its international customers despite US efforts to increase pressure on the country’s energy sector.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Paknejad said that attempts by the current US administration to restrict Iran’s oil exports are doomed to fail because Iran has always come up with a solution to get round foreign sanctions.

“These sanctions have failed to have a considerable impact on Iran’s crude oil exports ... We believe firmly that we can overcome these restrictions,” said Paknejad.

The minister also denied reports suggesting that the US has imposed sanctions on exports of methanol from Iran, which the country sees as a lifeline at a time when sanctions have limited its crude oil exports.

“I have received no news about the US imposing sanctions on the Iranian methanol,” he said.   

The US government has issued more than a dozen announcements outlining new sanctions against Iran since February 4, when US President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum ordering a campaign of maximum pressure on the country.

Iran has dismissed the significance of the sanctions, saying they are aimed at forcing the country into nuclear and military concessions.

Figures by the Iranian government and reports by international tanker tracking services have pointed to a steady increase in the Iranian oil exports in recent months, with estimates suggesting the country is currently exporting an average of 1.8 million barrels per day of oil, mostly to private refiners in China.

Press TV