Azerbaijan, Baku, Mar. 21/ Trend F.Milad/
The unyielding positions of Iran have forced the U.S. to exempt 11 countries from economic sanctions against the country, Chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi has said.
ISNA quoted Boroujerdi as saying that the financial crisis in the West and the concern over the increasing price of crude oil, which will harm consumer countries in Europe, have led to such a decision.
The United States exempted Japan and 10 EU nations from financial sanctions because they have significantly cut purchases of Iranian oil, but left Iran's top customers China and India exposed to the possibility of such steps.
The decision means banks in these countries have been given a six-month reprieve from the threat of being cut off from the U.S. financial system under new sanctions designed to pressure Iran over
its nuclear program.
The list did not include China and India, Iran's top two crude oil importers, nor U.S. allies South Korea and Turkey, which are among the top-10 consumers of Iranian oil.
Japan, China and India combined buy close to half of Iran's crude exports of 2.6 million barrels a day, providing crucial foreign exchange for the OPEC member.
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