Iran says no OPEC member can take over its share of oil exports

A senior Iranian diplomat urged OPEC’s secretary general to keep the group away from the political agenda of some members and said none should be allowed to take over another’s share of its oil exports, Tehran’s oil ministry news agency said on Sunday.

“No country is allowed to take over the share of other members for production and exports of oil under any circumstance, and the OPEC Ministerial Conference has not issued any licence for such actions,” agencies quoted Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s permanent envoy to Vienna-based international organisations was quoted as saying.

Iran has asked OPEC to support it against new US sanctions and signalled it is not yet in agreement with Saudi Arabia’s views on the possible need to increase global oil supplies.