EU reaches agreement for embargo to Iran

All 27 EU countries have come to a principle of agreement for an embargo on imports of Iranian oil, in the framework of the new round of sanctions that seek to impose on Tehran.

Diplomatic sources indicated yesterday that Greece arose yesterday the reservations it had expressed with other countries, so that in practice there is now a principle of agreement on the embargo.

The next Council of Ministers of affairs external of the European Union (EU), which will take place the 30th January, pretende take a decision on the new sanctions Iran by its continued refusal to cooperate with the international community about its nuclear program.

The sources pointed out that, despite the principle of agreement, even aún queda is work to be done on the joint ellas ellos package of sanctions and its modalities, as the date of entry into force ellas ellos embargo - order not to provoke problems a countries that import quite Iranian oil - before u000ato talk of a Pact final.

The December European Council instructed the Foreign Ministers that continue working on a new round of sanctions against Tehran, following the latest report of the international agency of Atomic Energy (IAEA), which accused Iran of having worked in the technology needed to manufacture nuclear weapons. On December 1, an EU source told Efe that Europe would be ready to face an embargo on imports of oil of Iran without problems given that loss of supply could be offset by an increase in purchases to other countries producers.

Compensate for the loss
"the excess capacity of Saudi Arabia can theoretically offset the loss of Iranian exports as a whole", said the source. That same source recalled that, in case that the EU-27 optasen by cutting imports from Iran, as u000adiscussed the Foreign Ministers on December 1, European refineries "could find alternative suppliers", as that made when production stopped in Libya this year.

Iran sells 11 States members of the EU and is the fifth country by volume of oil supplied to the European Union after Russia, Norway, Libya and Saudi Arabia.

Overall, Iranian imports accounted for only a 5.8 per cent of the total of the EU in 2010, but some countries are in a situation much more sensitive.

The main buyers of crude oil from Iran are, by this order, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Greece, Holland, France and Germany, according to data from the European Commission. Spain purchased in 2010 more oil from Iran than any other country.

Iran ( )
new warning of the Iranians warned again yesterday Wednesday United States against the presence of its naval force in the u000aGulf, increasing a threat that Washington rejected the eve as a sign of "weakness". "We have always said that the presence of non regional forces in the Persian Gulf is unnecessary and harmful," stated the Minister of defence Iranian, general Ahmad Vahidi, quoted by State television.

"Presence long-term United States in the region increases the insecurity and the possibility of tension and confrontation," said the Deputy leader of the Iranian armed forces, Massoud Jazayeri, according to the web site of the guardians of the revolution. "Consequently... United States must leave the region," he added.

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