Iran not worried that Trump may toughen oil sanctions: Minister

Iran is not concerned that an incoming US administration led by Donald Trump may decide to toughen sanctions on the country’s oil exports.

Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said on Wednesday that Iran has some valuable experiences in getting around US sanctions.

“In countering the sanctions, we do not distinguish between (incumbent US President Joe) Biden and Trump and we have no special worries given that there are some tested solutions and valuable experiences,” Paknejad told reporters after a Cabinet session in Tehran.

He said Iran plans to sustain oil production and exports and was ready for possible oil curbs by the new US administration.

Reports have suggested that Trump and his foreign policy team may decide to take a tougher line on Iran than the current administration led by Biden.

That comes as official data show that Iran has ramped up its oil production and exports in recent months despite an existing regime of US sanctions that imposes harsh penalties on buyers.

Latest data by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) show Iran’s oil output reached 3.259 million barrels per day (bpd) in October, down slightly from figures reported in September.

Estimates suggest the country’s oil exports have been at an average of 1.5 million bpd this year, up from only 0.3 million bpd reported in mid-2019, when Trump enforced sanctions he had imposed on Iran a year earlier and just two years into his previous term as US president.

Data from international tanker tracking services show a bulk of Iranian oil shipments end up in the hands of private buyers in China.

Experts say a potential decision by Trump to cause restrictions on the supply of Iranian oil exports to China may lead to major problems in relations between Washington and Beijing while it would also cause global oil prices to rise to record levels.

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