Washington, August 22: Two US senators ask the government to update its list of firms that export gasoline to Iran, as Congress is readying legislation to cut off Iran’s fuel supplies.
Senators Jon Kyl and Joseph Lieberman asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) last week to expand its 2007 list of 30 potential foreign investors in Iran’s energy sector ‘to include any and all entities’ that export oil and gas products to Iran, Reuters reported on Friday.
The proposed sanctions are the latest of the US plans to force Tehran to halt its uranium enrichment activities.
Iran, the world’s fifth-largest crude exporter, has shrugged off reports that the sanctions will have a significant impact on the country.
About two-third of Iran’s daily gasoline needs (67 million liters) is produced inside the country while the rest is supplied through imports. Iran’s Oil Ministry has announced the country has gasoline reserves of about 1.4 billion liters.
“This information will be of great use to Congress as it considers amending the Iran Sanctions Act to put greater pressure on those entities doing business in Iran,” the lawmakers said in a letter to the GAO.
If approved, foreign companies can not receive loans from the US Export-Import Bank for supplying gasoline to Iran.
The US, Israel and some European states claim Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons — an allegation dismissed by Tehran and disputed by the UN nuclear watchdog.
—–Agencies