Iran Says It Won’t Use Oil As a Weapon

GENEVA –
Iran’s foreign minister said Friday his country would not use oil as an economic weapon against those countries pressing Tehran over its suspect nuclear program.

Iran is second to Saudi Arabia as an oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran had medium- and long-term obligations to supply oil to different countries, especially in Asia.

“We are not going to use oil as political leverage in conducting our foreign policy,” Manouchehr Mottaki said during an appearance at a security think tank in Geneva. “We will respect our obligations in energy.”

Mottaki, who was in Geneva for a speech to the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament, made similar comments earlier this month, casting doubts on a statement by Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi.

AP