Iran moves to ease oil concerns

Iran has moved to reassure the West that it does not plan to reduce its oil exports if the UN introduces sanctions against its nuclear ambitions.

Its oil minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh said the issues were entirely separate.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of the oil producers’ cartel Opec, he said “from our point of view there’s no link between the two”.

Global oil prices have risen in recent weeks due to growing international concern about Iran’s nuclear plans.