» 01/12/2012 17:45 IRAN US calls for ban on Iranian oil imports, Beijing says no, Tokyo says maybe Tim Geithner is travelling to China and Japan to urge these countries to adopt sanctions against Iran for its nuclear programme but is getting a cold shoulder. Russia is concerned matters might escalate and lead to a military confrontation with the United States, pushed by Israel.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Under Western, especially US pressures, Japan will consider cutting Iranian oil purchases. In an Asian tour, US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner got Tokyo to make this modest gesture, but had no such luck in Beijing. Russia too has voiced its strong opposition to the demand. Nevertheless, the decision to stop buying Iranian oil is part of new sanctions the European Union and the United States are set to adopt shortly in connection with Iran’s nuclear programme.
“If the EU follows the Americans and imposes an embargo on purchases of Iranian oil . . . then the Europeans will suffer first and foremost, not the US, which has plenty of its own reserves,” former Russian secret services chief and current head of Russia's National Security Council Nikolai Patrushev told Interfax.
“With the debt problems in the euro zone becoming more acute, such actions will serve to aggravate the social and economic situation,” he added. “There is a likelihood of a military escalation, with Israel pushing the US.”
“At the moment, the US sees Iran as its main problem,” he explained. “They are seeking to turn Tehran, their enemy, into a loyal partner, and for that purpose to change the ruling regime there by any means. Economic blockade is applied, as is the massive support for opposition forces, which can conduct a colored revolution there,” like those that occurred in some former Soviet republics.
US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner arrived in Tokyo on Thursday as part of a lobbying effort that comes after the US introduced sanctions last month to penalise financial institutions that deal with Iran’s central bank, which clears most oil sales (see “Nuclear scientist killed in Tehran, fourth in a year,” in AsiaNews, 11 January 2012).
Following a meeting with Mr Geithner, Jun Azumi, Japan’s finance minister, said that whilst Japan still relied on Iran for about 10 per cent of its crude oil, imports had already been cut by 40 per cent over five years and Tokyo was ready to do more. However, he did not mention the timing.
In Beijing, Geithner got a cold shoulder. China is Iran’s greatest oil customer, followed by India and Japan.
"We oppose applying pressure and sanctions, because these approaches won't solve the problems. They never have," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun said. “Iran is also an extremely big oil supplier to China, and we hope that China's oil imports won't be affected, because this is needed for our development," he added.
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