Iran ready to block oil exports to Europe

TEHRAN, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Iranian lawmakers are ready to back a bill that would cut oil exports to some members of the European Union before July, the parliamentary speaker said.

The European Council last month approved of an embargo of Iranian oil, a measure that will enter into force starting July 1. Member states, however, aren't allowed to enter into new fuel contracts with Tehran.

Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, said lawmakers are ready to approve a bill that would end Iranian oil exports "to certain member states" of the EU, Iran's state-funded broadcaster Press TV reports.

He said it was necessary to move ahead of the EU embargo in order to respond to members' "irrational attitude," the broadcaster reported.

The United States and European governments have increased the sanctions pressure on Iran in an effort to curtail the Islamic republic's nuclear ambitions. Tehran maintains its nuclear program is meant for peaceful purposes.

Tarja Cronberg, a European lawmaker in charge of the delegation for relations with Iran, told the European Parliament's news service last week that European sanctions would "probably not" influence Iran's behavior.

Sanctions on Iran's Central Bank make it difficult for its customers like India to process crude oil payments.

Iran exports around 20 percent of its total output of 2.2 million barrels per day to European consumers. Larijani didn't specify which European countries would face restrictions first.