Iran is not ready to engage in talks with the United States until sanctions are lifted, an Iranian oil minister told CNBC on Monday.
"Iran is not ready to open discussions with United States," said Iranian oil minister Bijan Zanganeh at the OPEC meeting in Vienna to CNBC's. "If United States and the administration wants to change the environment between the two countries, firstly [it] should leave all sanctions put against Iranian oil and other areas. Then, [the U.S.] will see significant change in the environment and then we can do many things.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have escalated in recent weeks, following attacks on oil tankers and a U.S. drone near the Strait of Hormuz that the U.S. alleges were executed by Iran.
When asked if it is safe for tankers in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, Zanganeh emphasized that the oil market should be depoliticized. "I don't know who has done against the ships in Oman but in [the] Iranian side, during the more than 100 years, we secured the market and we repeated it for many times that the market, the oil market, should be depoliticized," said Zanganeh.
"The oil market should be depoliticized for all," he said. "Its not a tool to use against some countries to limit its export and others. Oil is oil."
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