Iran parliament speaker warns no one in region will sell oil if Tehran cannot

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned Tuesday that no country in the region would be able to sell oil if Iran were prevented from doing so, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

“The US and other countries should know, as we have said, that in a region where we cannot sell oil, no one will sell oil,” Qalibaf said.

His warning comes as Iran faces severe restrictions on its oil exports amid the ongoing conflict with Washington and US sanctions.

Iran’s Central Bank governor said in August that the country’s oil exports had fallen to zero, saying Tehran was no longer exporting crude because of the war and sanctions.

The US military, meanwhile, said on Sept. 19 that more than 1 billion barrels of crude oil had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in recent months with US military assistance, while claiming Iran had exported “zero barrels” under what Washington calls its “ironclad blockade.”

“If our security is not guaranteed, no infrastructure will be safe,” Ghalibaf said.

Earlier this month, Qalibaf warned that US energy infrastructure and assets around the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz could face Iranian retaliation if Washington attacked Iran’s oil and gas facilities.

Qalibaf also referred to recent remarks by US President Donald Trump concerning the Strait of Hormuz and the passage of vessels through the waterway, describing them as a repetition of earlier US claims.

Trump on Saturday rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to normal commercial traffic within seven days, saying Tehran’s conditions were unacceptable and claiming Washington already had “total control” of the waterway.

Under Tehran’s proposal, Washington would release frozen Iranian assets, lift oil sanctions and end the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, after which Iran would move to reopen the strait and talks on a final agreement would begin.

Iran has kept the Strait of Hormuz restricted while demanding that Washington fulfill commitments under a June memorandum of understanding. Iran says that the waterway will not fully reopen until Iran’s conditions are met and US commitments are implemented.

On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Qatari mediators will present the US with new ideas discussed with Tehran on how to meet Iran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Qalibaf also warned Washington against further pressure on Tehran, saying Iran will not retreat in the face of what he described as “air or commercial blockades.”

His comments come as Washington has expanded economic pressure beyond Iran’s oil and maritime sectors to civil aviation.

“The leaders of the White House should know that Iran, a wise nation that has made history, will never retreat because of lines being drawn, speeches, or air or commercial blockades,” Qalibaf said.

He added that Iran’s response to “any threat or adventurism” would be “regrettable and swift.”

In February, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran, which responded with attacks on Israel and US targets in the region before a ceasefire agreement was reached in April.

​​​​​​​Washington and Tehran later signed a memorandum of understanding in June concerning freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but implementation stalled over disagreements related to security in the strategic waterway as tensions continue to escalate between the two sides.