Iran Press/Europe: OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo visited Tehran for an oil and gas expo just hours before sanctions waivers the US granted to Iran's biggest oil customers were set to expire.
Barkindo arrived in Tehran on Wednesday night May 1 to visit 24th Iran International Oil, Gas, Refining, and Petrochemical Exhibition, Iran Press reported.
Speaking to reporters in Tehran, Barkindo underlined that Iranian oil could not be eliminated from the global market and utilitarian actions against Iran is futile.
OPEC Secretary-General added that Washington would not gain anything if it imposes punitive measures on it.
The OPEC chief visit came as China, Turkey, and Iraq said that they cannot abide by the unilateral US sanctions and would continue doing business with Iran and one Russian executive claimed that they have been encouraged to do business with Iranian companies.
While Barkindo was in Tehran, Iran’s oil ministry reported on Twitter that Barkindo said at oil and gas exhibition in the Iranian capital that “OPEC tries to depoliticize oil."
“I have told my colleagues at OPEC that you must leave your passports home when coming to this organization,” Barkindo was quoted as saying.
Asked by a reporter if it was technically possible to implement US sanctions against Tehran, Barkindo said: “It is impossible to eliminate Iranian oil from the market.”
United States has demanded that buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by the start of May, or face sanctions, ending six months of waivers that had allowed the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members, Iran’s eight top customers, most of them in Asia, to import limited volumes.
Oil prices hit their highest level since November 2018 in the aftermath of Washington’s decision.
China – the largest buyer of Iranian crude -- said it had lodged representations with the US over the move.
Turkey, in turn, reiterated its opposition to all kind of sanctions.
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