Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh stated on Sunday that his country would use all opportunities to export crude, stressing that it is Tehran's legitimate right.
"We will use every possible way to export our oil and we will not succumb to America's pressure because exporting oil is Iran's legitimate right", he said.
He also noted that Beijing pulled out of developing Iranian South Pars gas field.
"We want to be friends with all regional countries. Out mutual enemy is outside the Middle East... I have no problem to meet with Saudi Arabia's oil minister. China has pulled out of developing the phase 11 of the South Pars field and Petropars will carry out the job", Zanganeh said
The Iranian energy industry became the first target of sanctions imposed by the US last year after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. The European countries refused to join the sanctions, but the Iranian government urged them to shield Iran from Washington's policies and suspended several obligations under the accord.
According to various estimates, oil exports by Middle Eastern country were cut by more than 80 per cent since sanctions were re-imposed.