WANA (Aug 20) – Iran’s Oil Minister Paknejad rejected claims that Iranian crude is left unsold on tankers at sea, dismissing recent Western media reports as nonsense.

 

“Some Western outlets have reported that 120 million liters of Iranian oil are ‘stranded on the water’ without buyers. These rumors are a joke and should not be taken seriously,” the minister said.

 

He emphasized: “We do not have even a single barrel of oil on the water that we cannot sell. Everything that is at sea is fully planned and aligned with market conditions. Do not pay attention to incorrect figures. I have explained this repeatedly, and I stress it once again.”

 

Previously, Iran’s Oil Minister had also firmly rejected another claim of foreign media that over 40 million barrels of Iranian crude oil are sitting unsold at sea, describing the reports as “completely false.”

 

In response to reports from international outlets, which alleged a buildup of Iranian oil both offshore and on land — particularly destined for China — the minister clarified that oil sales are being actively managed according to market conditions.

 

“We sometimes hold or reposition cargoes due to market-driven reasons,” the minister stated. “But I categorically deny that 40 million barrels of Iranian oil are stranded on the water.”

 

He emphasized: “We don’t have oil that we can’t sell — such a situation doesn’t exist.”