Spain's Repsol shrugs off Iranian oil ban

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MADRID, April 11 (UPI) -- Spanish energy company Repsol stopped getting crude oil from Iran more than four months ago so its recent ban announcement has no effect, a spokesman said.

Iran said Tuesday it was imposing "counter-sanctions" against the European Union by cutting the crude oil supply to Spain.

Spanish energy company Repsol, however, told United Press International that it stopping getting crude oil from Iran more than four months ago.

"We stopped sourcing crude from Iran in January so the halt has no material effect on our supplies, which we have replaced with a number of sources, mainly Saudi crude," a Repsol spokesman said in an e-mailed statement.

The Iranian government has taken a number of steps that it claims pre-empts European oil sanctions that go into force in July.

The United States and EU members have targeted Iran's energy sector with sanctions as punishment for a nuclear program, which Tehran maintains is peaceful.

Iran's Press TV reported that the country stopped exporting crude oil to Greece this week. Spain and Germany were including in later bans by the Iranian government.

Iran during the weekend expects to have multilateral nuclear talks in Turkey.