Oil Waivers Expose Cracks in US Policy

The exemptions granted to Iran’s biggest oil clients, which allow them to keep buying crude from the country, show that the US sanctions policy has failed, says Tehran’s ambassador in London. 
The waivers indicate that Washington’s efforts to rally the world behind sanctions on Iran have been futile, Hamid Baeidinejad also told CNN in an interview published on Tuesday. 
Having abandoned a 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the United States snapped sanctions on Iran’s oil and shipping industries back in place on November 5.  
Washington had been pushing governments to cut imports of Iranian oil to zero. But, fearing a price spike, it granted Iran’s biggest buyers—China, India, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Greece, Taiwan and Turkey—temporary sanctions waivers.
Baeidinejad said the US has been under pressure from countries who want to continue working with Iran, and that is why it was compelled to allow exemptions.
He also dismissed recent remarks by US National Security Adviser John Bolton in which he said his country intends to “squeeze” Iran very hard and still plans to get its oil exports down to zero. 
The envoy criticized the use of such language by American officials, adding that Iran has “a lot of alternatives” and “enough leverage” to maintain its oil sales despite US attempts to stop them.
The difference between this time and last time is that many countries “are not ready to comply with the United States’ requests”, he said, referring the era before the conclusion of the nuclear agreement when Iran was under international sanctions.

Psychological Warfare  

The diplomat said the impact of sanctions on Iran’s economy can be mainly attributed to the US administration’s “psychological warfare” against the country, pledging that the government will find ways of evading restrictions on oil trade. 
Asked if the exodus of European companies from Iran, fearful of the extra-territorial reach of Washington’s sanctions, is a serious economic threat, Baeidinejad said, “We are not happy that big companies are leaving Iran because of US pressure, but, in the meantime, we have [seen] a lot of interest from small- and medium-sized companies to work with Iran.” 
The government is in close contact with the European Union to see how European SMEs can operate in the Iranian market, he added. 
Asked whether Iran will continue to implement the nuclear restrictions set by its nuclear accord with major power, the ambassador said Iran will do so if it can “reach an understanding” with the remaining signatories, particularly European powers, on a roadmap that can compensate for the US exit.
  
 

Int’l Outcry Against Saudis 

On whether he feels Iran is benefiting from the international pressure on Riyadh over the recent murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, he said the incident helped the West better understand the nature of the kingdom’s policy of “coercion” and “intimidation”, which has wreaked havoc on the region.
Asked about the prospects of ceasefire in war-torn Yemen, Baeidinejad said the main obstacle is that the Saudi-led coalition engaged in the war in the Arab country has “never believed that a political solution is the only way to resolve the Yemeni issue.”
They have tried to address the situation through military force, which will not produce any positive result, the envoy said.