Baku, Azerbaijan, June 22
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Shipping lines from four countries have expressed readiness to resume operation at Iranian ports.
Director of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, Mohammad Saeednejad said that shipping lines from India, China, Taiwan, and South Korea have voiced readiness to resume operation at Iranian ports, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on June 22.
The international sanctions imposed on Iran have made problems for foreign shipping lines to operate in the country, he added.
Mina Sediq-Noohi, Deputy Director of Iran Central Insurance Company, earlier said that foreign insurers were not able to provide the Iranian shipping industry with insurance services because they feared that the interim easing of sanctions might not be extended.
Foreign insurers were not able to provide the Iranian shipping industry with insurance services because they feared that the interim easing of sanctions might not be extended, Iran's Tasnim news agency quoted her as saying.
"Therefore, they are not currently providing insurance services to Iran's shipping industry," she added.
On November 25, 2013, member of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Mines, Masoud Daneshmand said EU sanctions on Iranian oil shipping insurance have been lifted after the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers.
Previously, Iranian and international shipping companies were unable to carry Iran's oil due to the sanctions, he added.
On November 24, 2013, Iran and six world powers reached a breakthrough deal on Tehran's nuclear programme. The two sides signed a joint plan of action. The deal signed in Geneva suggests some softening on sanctions against Iran.
Insurance on oil shipments are included in the agreement.
After the deal, the US released some $8 billion of Iran's blocked assets, spokesman for Iran's administration, Mohammad-Baqer Nobakht said on Nov. 25.
The U.S. and its Western allies suspect Iran of developing nuclear weapons, something Iran denies. The Islamic Republic has on numerous occasions stated that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons but is using nuclear energy for medical research instead.