Zarif to Pompeo: ‘We will sell our oil to any party willing to buy’

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that his country would sell its oil “to any party willing to buy.”

This came in a tweet posted by Zarif in response to the tweet of his US counterpart Mike Pompeo in which he stated that the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya-1 is heading to Syria.

Zarif indicated that the United States is trying to prevent Iran from selling oil to its traditional customers using piracy and threats.

US denied us means of defense: We built missiles & US complains.

US denied us nuclear fuel: We made it & US complains.

Now US engages in piracy & threats to prevent Iran from selling oil to traditional customers.

Stop nagging @SecPompeo: We will sell oil to any & all buyers.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) August 31, 2019

Pompeo tweeted on Friday saying: “Zarif guaranteed to the UK that the IRGC oil tanker AdrianDarya1 would not head to Syria.”

He added: “We have reliable information that the tanker is underway and headed to Tartus, Syria. I hope it changes course. It was a big mistake to trust Zarif.”

FM @JZarif guaranteed to the UK that the IRGC oil tanker #Grace1 / #AdrianDarya1 would not head to Syria. We have reliable information that the tanker is underway and headed to Tartus, Syria. I hope it changes course. It was a big mistake to trust Zarif. pic.twitter.com/ZJ06MWjvCO

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) August 30, 2019

The Gibraltar authorities released the tanker in mid-August after being detained since 4 July on suspicions that it was transporting Iranian oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions.

The Gibraltar authorities also rejected a US request to confiscate the tanker, due to European legal restrictions.

Following the refusal, a US court issued the confiscation order.

It is noteworthy that Iran changed the name of the tanker from “Grace 1” to “Adrian Darya-1” after the authorities in Gibraltar decided to release it.

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