No oil will go through Persian Gulf if US targets Iran’s crude exports

President Hassan Rouhani has reaffirmed that the United States will not be able to stop Iran’s oil sales, warning that no crude will find its way out of the Persian Gulf should Washington attempt to target Iranian crude exports.

“The US should know [this] that we are selling and will continue to sell our oil and it will not be able to block Iran’s oil exports. And it should also know that if it attempts to stop Iran’s oil [sales] someday, no oil will be exported from the Persian Gulf,” he said during a speech on Tuesday in the city of Shahroud, Semnan Province.

Rouhani further noted that Washington had failed in its declared aims of stopping Iran’s crude exports, choking its trade with the world, and isolating the country regionally and internationally.

“Our great nation proved to be the ultimate victor of this battle on all stages,” the president said.

Washington has re-imposed its unilateral anti-Iran sanctions, including an oil embargo, after withdrawing from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers in May in defiance of international objections.

The US had initially vowed to reduce Iran’s oil sales to “zero” under the bans, but it later backed down and granted waivers to almost all of Tehran’s major crude buyers.