Iran denies asking Saudi to help sell its oil

Saeed Khatibzadeh

18 May 2021; MEMO: Spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, has categorically denied media reports claiming his country has asked Saudi Arabia to help it sell its oil and circumvent US sanctions.

Last Thursday, Middle East Eye (MEE) reported that Iran had asked Saudi Arabia to help sell its oil and circumvent US sanctions in exchange for limiting Yemen's Houthi attacks on the kingdom's oil facilities.

The agency quoted an Iraqi official familiar with negotiations taking place in Baghdad as saying that the Iranians have called on the Saudis to help them sell their oil once again.

"They offered to sell it to the Saudis at a price lower than international prices on the condition that the Saudis sell it on the world markets in their own way," the official told MEE.

Khatibzadeh said: "the Iranian-Saudi talks are continuing and focus on bilateral, regional and international issues."