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Zanganeh calls on world producers to cut oil to Israel and allies |
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Tehran, April 30, IRNA -- Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh here Tuesday called it a "human duty" of the world's producers to cut oil supply to the racist Israeli regime and its allies. The official described the embargo as "a symbolic and effective move...in support of human rights and the rights of the oppressed Palestinians." All the non-OPEC and OPEC members, especially Arab and Islamic countries, are invited to perform their human duty in "protecting human rights and denouncing violence, massacre, dictatorship and humiliation of human beings," Zanganeh said. The Iranian oil minister brushed off Washington's denunciation of the oil embargo as a weapon, saying that "it was America which started first to use oil as a weapon against oil producing countries." |
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| "Thus, it is surprising that this country (the US) is questioning the use of oil as a political and symbolic means in support of human rights in Palestine," he added. | |||
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Zanganeh's call is similar to several pleas by Iranian officials to impose oil embargoes on Israel and its supporters. Earlier in the month, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Islamic oil-producing countries to suspend supplies to those countries which have supported Israel. "All Arab and Islamic states must cut off oil supplies to those countries who have close relations with the Zionist entity at least for a month in a symbolic gesture," the Leader told worshipers in Tehran. Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karroubi said recently that the Islamic Republic is ready to cut oil exports to countries supporting the racist Israeli regime. "Iran has the readiness to stop oil exports to the countries which back Israel but this will prove effective only if other countries follow suit," he told IRNA at the parliament floor. |
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