Wrong move by US would affect oil flows: Iran

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the world’s fourth largest oil exporter, said on Sunday that if the United States makes a “wrong move” toward Iran, energy flows in the region would be endangered.

Iranian officials have in the past ruled out using oil as a weapon in Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West, but Khamenei’s comments suggested Iran could disrupt supplies if pushed.

“If you make a wrong move regarding Iran, definitely the energy flow in this region will be seriously endangered,” Khamenei said in speech broadcast on state television and in which he discussed the nuclear issue.

The United States accuses Iran of seeking to develop atomic weapons under cover of a civilian nuclear power program, a charge Tehran denies. The U.S. says it wants a diplomatic end to the dispute but has refused to rule out military action.

Reuters