Controversy Over Report That “Exposes” Sanctions Evasion Methods
Iran’s state radio and television has denied reports published about revealing details of a confidential oil deal and how to circumvent American sanctions.
The controversy over the publication of a report on state television has intensified at a time when Iran’s oil exports have sharply declined due to American sanctions, and Islamic Republic leaders are seeking alternative ways to sell oil.
Earlier, some Iranian media outlets reported that in the program “Salam, Sobh-e Bekhair” on IRIB’s third channel, the program’s host, by showing aerial images, exposed the route of an oil tanker that was circumventing American sanctions and delivering its cargo to China.
In this program, it was stated that the tanker named “Salina” delivered one million barrels of oil to Chinese buyers.
However, the public relations office of the “Salam, Sobh-e Bekhair” program denied the accusations of disclosing classified national information hours after these reports were published.
In a statement from the public relations office of “Salam, Sobh-e Bekhair,” it was said that information related to this tanker and the secret sale of Iranian oil to a Chinese buyer had previously “been published in a report with satellite images in the international publication Financial Times along with photos and more detailed information.”
The statement said: “If the ship was to be tracked by the Americans, this should have happened a week earlier, and there is no need for the ‘Salam, Sobh-e Bekhair’ program to remind the Americans in Farsi.”
The disclosure of this information comes at a time when Iran’s oil ministry had previously insisted on protecting information and “oil secrets” and was unwilling to reveal “classified information about circumventing sanctions.”
Bijan Zanganeh, Iran’s oil minister, had previously remained silent when asked about Iran’s oil production and sales levels, saying he was not willing to disclose information on this matter.
Zanganeh said in a speech last March: “I cannot tell you how we circumvent sanctions, because it is detrimental to the nation. Some say you are not working, but we do not expose our plans. We provide no information, because the enemy will use it against us.”
Source: DW
