WANA (July 2) – In the first TV debate of the second round of Iran’s presidential election, Masoud Pezeshkian claimed that the current government, Ebrahim Raisi’s government, sells oil to countries at a huge discount and cannot receive the money.

 

Today, Iran’s oil minister responded to this claim and considered it false. “They say Iran sells oil to China at a high discount and does not receive the money; this is untrue.” Oil minister Javad Oji said.

 

Javad Oji stated that Iran now exports oil to more than 17 countries, and the percentage of discounts to customers is less than the number of fingers.

 

“Today, we also export oil to Europe; we export oil to 17 countries in the world today, and with the development of oil exports, no matter what government comes to power in America, there will be no problem for Iran’s oil exports,” Oji remarked.

 

The oil minister reiterated that Iran is currently engaged in an economic war, a situation that necessitates a strategic approach. In such times, it is not prudent to reveal the statistics of the country’s bases, as adversaries could exploit this. “We cannot announce the details of oil sales because we are in an economic war.”

 

The minister also condemned those who seek to distort the country’s achievements. Enumerating some of these achievements, Oji announced that “300,000 people working day and night in Iran’s oil industry, and nowadays we can sell oil wherever we want.”

 

The reformist presidential candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, who seems to have been confiscated these days by the old generals (ex-ministers) of Hassan Rouhani’s government, repeatedly claimed in last night’s debate that Iran cannot receive the money for the oil it sells. Javad Oji answered this claim: “If oil money did not come, how would the stability of the currency market or supply of essential goods be ensured?”

A view of the oil exhibition in Tehran, Iran, May 14, 2022. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

OIL SALES IN JUNE 2024

In June 2024, Iran’s oil exports showed significant activity, reaching approximately 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd). This level of export represents one of the highest rates since 2018, largely due to relaxed U.S. sanctions enforcement and increased demand from China. Most of Iran’s oil exports are directed to China, which now accounts for 80-90% of its oil sales.

By R.Ganji