Iran Says EU Possible Ban of Iranian Gas Imports Is ‘Propaganda’

Iran’s Oil Ministry downplayed reports that the European Union may ban imports of Iranian gas as “propaganda” against the nation.

Iran doesn’t supply the EU with natural gas, Oil Ministry spokesman Alireza Nikzad Rahbar was quoted as saying by the state-run Fars news agency in a report today. “The new EU threat is just propaganda,” he was reported as saying.

Iran exports gas to Turkey and has swap deals with Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to Fars.

The U.K., France and Germany are pressing the EU to agree to new measures to bring Iran’s economy to its knees and bar its nuclear ambitions, according to several European diplomats. U.S. Undersecretary of the Treasury David Cohen is visiting France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. this week to discuss coordinating efforts to increase the pressure on the Iranian government.

EU foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg on Oct. 15. EU diplomats have reached a preliminary agreement on banning gas imports, one of a package of measures which also include other financial and energy-related proposals, Reuters reported on Oct. 4, citing unidentified EU officials.

An EU embargo on Iranian oil came into force in July. Iran is one of the main producers in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ladane Nasseri in Dubai at lnasseri@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net