WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will consider requests for waivers from economic sanctions against Iran on a “case-by-case” basis, a senior State Department official said Monday, a step back from threats to insist on zero imports by a Nov. 4 deadline.
Buyers of Iranian crude oil have been hoping for relief from U.S. sanctions to have more time to reduce purchases. Oil prices rose to multiyear highs last week after U.S. officials signaled the administration would act to cut Iran exports faster than expected and said all countries and companies that continued purchasing Iranian oil risked sanctions.
“We are prepared to work with countries that are reducing their imports on a case-by-case basis,” Brian Hook, the director of policy planning at the State Department, told reporters at a briefing, in response to a question about India’s and Turkey’s plans to continue to buy Iranian oil.
Hook said that sanctions targeting Iran’s automotive sector and key metals exports will be reimposed on Aug. 6, while oil sanctions will follow on Nov. 4, as previously indicated by the administration. He reiterated previous statements that the U.S. aims to eventually cut Iran oil export revenue to zero.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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