Iran Separates Politics from Economy

Deputy Oil Minister for International Affairs, Hosein Noghreh-Kar Shirazi has stated that Iran is ready to negotiate with American companies if they accept Iran’s terms. Noghrehkar Shirazi has stressed that United States, and not Iran, has deprived American companies of participating in Iran’s oil projects. American companies know that they have lost many opportunities for investment in Iran’s energy sector, according to Noghrehkar.

Dr. Nersi Ghorban, energy economy analyst comments for Iranian Diplomacy on United States’ policies on Iran’s oil sector: Iran’s preparedness to negotiate with American oil companies is not a new development. No bans have been issued by the Iranian side.

According to the executive order issued by Bill Clinton in April 1995, U.S. citizens and companies were banned from financing, supervising, and managing oil development projects in Iran. So it is the United States’ laws that restrict oil cooperation between Iran and American companies and no responsibility goes back to Iran’s petroleum ministry or any Iranian financial and commercial organization. The Islamic Republic of Iran has always insisted that politics and trade should be dealt with separately and it has never connected these two domains.

Oil relations between Iran and West

The Islamic Republic of Iran has always stressed that its oil cooperation and trade ties with European countries are separated from political relations. As to oil relations between Iran European countries, there are no legal bans, but establishing and expanding cooperation in this field faces investment issues. In economic relations, including oil cooperation, both parties must agree with reciprocal terms and be willing to initiate the deal.

According to Noghreh-Kar Shirazi, Iran has no problem in having economic relations with West and is ready to negotiate with every compnay, whether Asian or Western, if agrees with Iran’s terms on oil contracts.