Iran on Monday said that it is prepared for the effects of US President Trump’s recent decision to stop issuing waivers for the largest importers of Iranian oil. Due to the US move, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, China and India will be in violation of US sanctions if they continue to purchase Iranian crude after May 2nd. The Iranian government stated it had taken measures to ensure that “[w]hether the waivers continue or not, Iran’s oil exports will not be zero under any circumstances.”
On a separate occasion, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman if it would be barred from using it. “In case of any threat, we will have not even an iota of doubt to protect and defend the Iranian waters,” a commander of the Guards said. In response, the US government warned that the closure of the Strait by Iran in response to the end of US waivers would be unacceptable.
Read more: Iran says ready for U.S. waivers end, as Guards threaten to shut Hormuz
