Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Thursday urged the West to think twice before introducing an oil embargo against his country over the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, RIA Novosti reports.
Tensions between Iran and the West have escalated in the past few weeks after Tehran threatened to stop oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz if economic sanctions imposed by Western nations limit or prevent Iranian oil exports.
“Iran is used to embargos, which have been introduced against it over the past 12 years. We certainly don’t welcome sanctions and so we call on the West to think hard before taking such measures,” he told Turkey’s NTV channel.
“We don’t need the Americans or Britons to ensure security in the Persian Gulf,” he said, cautioning the countries in the region “not to endanger themselves.”
The minister also confirmed Tehran’s readiness to resume six-party negotiations with international mediators on Iran’s nuclear problem.
