Iranian Oil Minister said that Iran is a member of OPEC because of its interests and if other members of OPEC seek to threaten Iran or endanger its interests, Iran will not remain silent.

Iran Press/Iran news: Bijan Namdar Zanganeh after meeting the visiting Secretary General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Secretary-General Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo on Thursday in Tehran warned over possibility of OPEC's 'collapse' and said: "It is possible that OPEC could 'collapse' because of the 'unilateralism' some members of the organization insist on," Shana news agency reported.

Zanganeh following a meeting with OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo, said that Tehran would not leave any threats against it unanswered.

"Iran is a member of OPEC because of its interests and if other members of OPEC seek to threaten Iran or endanger its interests, Iran will not remain silent," Zanganeh pointed out.

OPEC Chief Sanusi arrived in Tehran on Wednesday night to visit 24th Iran International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition on Thursday. Speaking to reporters in Tehran Mohammed Sanusi underlined that Iranian oil could not be eliminated from the global market and unilitarism actions against Iran is futile.

OPEC Secretary-General, Mohammad Barkindo

Sanusi added that Washington would not gain anything if it imposes punitive measures on it.

Asked about the technical possibility of ignoring Iran’s crude output, the OPEC chief said, “There is no need to repeat it. It is impossible to eliminate Iran from the oil market.”

In April, the White House said US President Donald Trump 'has decided not to reissue' waivers regarding sanctions against countries importing Iranian oil when the waivers expire in early May.

United States President Donald Trump urged OPEC to increase the global oil output and threatened to sanction the organization.

Commenting about the assertion by two OPEC members that they will be replacing Iran in the oil market, Barkindo said the OPEC members make collective, not unilateral, decisions.

The US also said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would 'more than make up the oil flow difference' to make sure that global markets were not unsettled. The two OPEC members are close Washington allies and firmly back US President Donald Trump's hostile Iran policy.

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