IRI Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi downplayed threats by Iranian officials in recent months to block the Strait of Hormuz, the slender oil shipping channel out of the Gulf, in retaliation for a European Union ban on its oil exports, Reuters reported.
"Probably those who have suggested this idea have in mind that if Iran is denied access to the Persian Gulf for whatever reason ... then Iran will probably react appropriately," he said.
"But I don't think such a time will ever come," he added.
On July 1, the EU sanctions against Iran's oil and financial sectors came into effect. The sanctions prevent all the EU member states from purchasing Iran's oil or extending insurance coverage for tankers carrying Iranian crude.
The US administration in late March approved sanctions on Iranian crude oil sector, which penalize other countries for buying or selling Iranian crude oil. The sanctions were scheduled to come into effect on June 28.
The sanctions have been slapped based on the allegation that Iran is seeking to acquire a military nuclear capability.