Iran threatens to snap EU oil supply

Warns 'Hostile' Nations Like Spain, Germany And Italy 

TEHRAN: Tehran will cut oil exports to more EU nations if they remain "hostile" , the deputy oil minister who heads Iran's state oil company said on Monday, a day after sales were halted to France and Britain . Exports to Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Germany and the Netherlandswould be stopped, Ahmad Qalebani said, quoted by Mehr news agency. 

"Certainly if the hostile actions of some European countries continue, the export of oil to these countries will be cut," said Qalebani, who runsthe National Iranian Oil Company. He added: "In the current market situation , the price per barrel (of oil) will probably reach $150." 

Qalebani also said any country wanting Iranian oil would be required to sign "longterm contracts" . European companies, he said, would be held to "two-to fiveyear contracts with no preconditions ." Iran exports about 20% of its crude - some 600,000 barrels per day - to the EU, most of which goes to Italy, Spain and Greece. 

On Sunday, the oil ministry announced it had halted exports to France and Britain. 

That was in apparent retaliation for an EU-wide ban on Iranian oil that is to come fully into effect July 1 as part of Western sanctions against Tehran's nuclear programme . Although the ministry's measure was largely symbolic prices for the black stuff soared on fears Tehran could expand its cuts to other European nations. 

Tehran deploys warplanes, missiles, radars to defend nuclear sites 

Iran's military on Monday announced it has launched four days of manoeuvres in the south of the country aimed at boosting anti-air defences protecting nuclear sites. "These exercises aim to reinforce the integrated abilities of the country's anti-air defences," said a statement from the Katem-ol-Anbia military air base coordinating Iran's anti-air and ballistic missile systems. Missiles, anti-aircraft artillery, radars and warplanes were being deployed, it said. The declaration, reported by the official news agency IRNA, came as officials from the UN nuclear watchdog were holding talks in Tehran on Iran's suspect nuclear programme which has unsettled the West and Israel. It also coincided with increasing speculation that Israel was mulling air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. 

IAEA inspectors arrive for N-talks 

Senior UN inspectors arrived in Tehran on Monday for talks on Iran's disputed nuclear programme. Asked if the IAEA delegation would visit Iran's nuclear facilities, foreign ministerAli Akbar Salehi told the student news agency ISNA: "No. Their work has just begun." 

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Source : The Times of  India