US think tank gets angry at growth in Iran oil exports
An American foundation has expressed frustration over the increase in Iran’s oil exports, despite the US sanctions that were imposed on the country.
The US Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) released a report on Monday, August 21, expressing dissatisfaction with Iran’s oil exports, which "surpassed 2.2 million barrels per day" in the month.
According to the FDD report, this volume has exceeded the five-year high that Iran reached in May as the US does not apply the existing sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the FDD, is quoted as saying, “When you follow the flow of Iranian oil, you follow the trail of billions of dollars in hidden sanctions relief that the administration is providing to Iran. This isn’t sanctions evasion. It’s sanctions relief."
Brenda Shaffer, the FDD senior advisor for energy, analyzed the issue as an expert and stated, “Iran is not only exporting increased volumes of oil; it is likely producing more oil as well. Yet despite the increased flow of Iranian oil and the weak economic data from China, the market opened this week with a higher oil price due to maritime insecurity in the Black Sea that is putting upward pressure on global oil price.”