Iran will not succumb to US pressure and will use every possible way to export its oil, Iranian Oil Ministry's website SHANA quoted Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh as saying on Sunday.
Iran's crude oil exports were reduced by more than 80 per cent when the United States re-imposed sanctions on the country last November after President Donald Trump pulled out of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, reports Reuters.
"We will use every possible way to export our oil and we will not succumb to America's pressure because exporting oil is Iran's legitimate right," Zanganeh said.
In response, Iran has gradually scaled back its commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal, under which Tehran accepted to curb its nuclear activities in return for lifting most international sanctions.
The increasing US pressure on Iran has scared away foreign investors from doing business in the country.
Last year, China's National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) replaced French oil company Total as the operator of Phase 11 project at South Pars gas field after the French company ended its participation rather than violate US sanctions.
AFP from Tehran adds: Iran's oil minister said Sunday that China's CNPC has withdrawn from the development of an offshore gas field and that state-owned Petropars will take over the entire project.
The South Pars gas field was to be developed jointly by France's Total, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Petropars under a $4.8-billion (4.1 billion-euro) deal signed in July 2017.
The deal came after Iran reached a 2015 agreement with world powers that gave it relief from sanctions in exchange for limits on its nuclear programmeme, ending years of economic isolation.
