US President Donald Trump’s administration yesterday told five nations, including allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey, that they would no longer be exempt from US sanctions if they continue to import oil from Iran.
Trump has decided not to reissue the waivers when they expire early next month, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.
“The decision is intended to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero, denying its principal source of revenue,” Sanders said in a statement.
Photo: Reuters
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo planned to provide more details about the decision not to renew sanctions waivers for the five countries when they expire on May 2.
The other countries are China and India.
It was not immediately clear if any of the five would be given additional time to wind down their purchases or if they would be subject to US sanctions on May 3 if they do not immediately halt imports of Iranian oil.
The administration had granted eight oil sanctions waivers when it reimposed sanctions on Iran after Trump pulled the US out of the landmark 2015 multinational nuclear deal with Tehran.
They were granted in part to give those countries more time to find alternate energy sources, but also to prevent a shock to global oil markets from the sudden removal of Iranian crude.
US officials now say they do not expect any significant reduction in the supply of oil given production increases by other countries, including the US itself and Saudi Arabia.
Since November last year, three of the eight — Taiwan, Italy and Greece — have stopped importing oil from Iran.
The other five have not, and have lobbied for their waivers to be extended, especially Turkey, with senior officials telling their US counterparts that Iranian oil is critical to meeting their country’s energy needs.
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