Iran working on bill to fight back Europe with energy ‘weapon’

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Iran wants to reciprocate the Western sanctions imposed on the country with the energy sanctions against Europe. Following the numerous sanctions imposed on the country over its nuclear energy program, Tehran has decided to fight back the Europe with oil and gas “weapon”.

An Iranian lawmaker announced on February 22 that a large number of Iranian MPs are planning to prepare a bill to impose energy sanctions on the European countries.

"The lawmakers have put this issue on their agenda in line with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei's stance that called for Iran's action against the sanctions and deterrent measures," said Abdolvahid Fayyazi, Nour and Mahmoudabad MP, Fars news agency reported.

Fayyazi reminded that Khamenei has called on government officials to reciprocate the Western sanctions against Iran, adding that the country has a major share in the global gas market.

Earlier, Iran’s Supreme Leader said even if Tehran accepts all the demands of the world powers in the nuclear standoff, they will never remove their embargos against the country.

Khamenei blasted the U.S. threats and the European states' obedience to the U.S. policies, saying that: "If there are to be any sanction imposed, the Iranian nation too can impose sanction on them and it will do so."

He went on to say that Russia has cut its gas exports to Europe since June 2014 and Iran is the only route for exporting gas to Europe.

Such a decision of Tehran, which is severely hit by European and U.S. sanctions, could complicate the situation of Europe that heavily dependent on energy imports.

Seyed Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, Rapporteur of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission also called on Tehran officials to take reciprocal measures against the Western sanctions, underlining that Europe will suffer a lot if Iran imposes energy sanctions on the European countries.

He said the reason that the Europeans continue to impose sanctions on Iran is that Tehran has not yet used the oil and gas as a weapon against them.

The calls to impose energy sanctions became regular after the EU’s move for putting the country’s biggest tanker firm back on its sanctions list.

The EU re-imposed sanctions against NITC and Iranian businessman Gholam Hossein Golparvar on February 12. An EU working group decided to add the NITC to the sanctions list again even though an EU high court ruled last year against blacklisting the company.

Since Iran's nuclear program became public in 2002, the International Atomic Energy Agency has been unable to confirm Tehran's assertions that its nuclear activities are exclusively for peaceful purposes and that it has not sought to develop nuclear weapons.

The United Nations Security Council has adopted six resolutions since 2006 requiring Iran to stop enriching uranium - which can be used for civilian purposes, but also to build nuclear bombs - and co-operate with the IAEA. Four resolutions have included progressively expansive sanctions to persuade Tehran to comply. The four rounds of UN sanctions include a ban on the supply of heavy weaponry and nuclear-related technology to Iran, a block on arms exports, and an asset freeze on key individuals and companies.

Besides, the U.S. and EU have imposed additional sanctions on Iranian oil exports and banks since 2012.

In January 2012, the EU froze assets belonging to the Central Bank of Iran, and banned all trade in gold and other precious metals with the bank and other public bodies. Six months later, an EU ban on the import, purchase and transport of Iranian crude oil came into force. In October 2012, the EU banned any transactions with Iranian banks and financial institutions, as well as the import, purchase and transportation of natural gas from Iran, the construction of oil tankers for Iran.

The U.S. sanctions prohibit almost all trade with Iran, making some exceptions only for activity "intended to benefit the Iranian people", including the export of medical and agricultural equipment, humanitarian assistance and trade in "informational" materials such as films.

Iran insists it is only enriching uranium for power station fuel or other peaceful purposes, and that it would never seek nuclear weapons.