Iranian Lawmakers to Debate Halt of Oil Sales to Europe as EU Sets Embargo
Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Total SA Chief Executive Officer Christophe de Margerie talks about the European embargo on Iranian oil and shale gas production. He speaks with Maryam Nemazee on Bloomberg Television's "Countdown" at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. (Source: Bloomberg)
Iranian lawmakers will debate a bill requiring an immediate halt of Iran’s oil exports to Europe, the state-run Fars news agency said, in a response to a European Union ban on importing on Iranian crude that is to start in July.
“On Sunday, the parliament will have to approve a ‘double emergency’ bill calling for a halt in the export of Iranian oil to Europe starting next week,” Fars quoted the vice-chairman of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Hossein Ibrahimi, as saying today.
The EU agreed on Jan. 23 to ban oil imports from Iran from July 1 as part of measures to ratchet up pressure on the country’s nuclear program. Iran’s Oil Ministry has played down the effects of the measure on its economy, saying the move may lead to “heavy economic loss and damages” for Europe and that it has “no concerns” about finding new customers.
Europe, collectively the second-biggest buyer of Iranian oil after China, imported 450,000 barrels a day of the nation’s crude in the first half of last year, U.S. Energy Department data show.
To contact the reporter on this story: Caroline Alexander in London at calexander1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net
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