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US Sanctions Will Not Affect Oil Exports From Iran – Iranian Oil Minister

VIENNA (Sputnik) - Tehran is ready to oppose the US sanctions, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh told Sputnik, adding that he didn't believe the countries can reach agreement in the OPEC meeting.
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"Our exports will not be affected, we have plans for confronting sanctions, we have been resisting them for 40 years," Zanganeh said on the sidelines of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Seminar.

The minister noted that Iran opposed the "use of oil as a weapon" expressing the hope that the OPEC would be able to avoid politicization and continue to adhere to the previously agreed deal.

"President Trump thinks that [he] can order to OPEC and instruct to OPEC to do something. It's not fair, I think, and OPEC is not a part of the Department of Energy of the United States," he said.

READ MORE: Iraqi Oil Minister Hopes OPEC to Reach Final Deal on Friday

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Tensions between Iran and the United States have been rising since May 8, when US President Donald Trump announced the US withdrawal out of the Iran nuclear deal and hit the country with new economic sanctions.

In 2016, the OPEC countries agreed in Vienna to reduce daily oil production during the first half of 2017 to boost global oil prices.

The agreement was also supported by 11 non-OPEC states. In late 2017, OPEC and non-OPEC states, including Russia, agreed to extend the agreement on the reduction of oil output until the end of 2018.

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