Sputnik - The US is pushing Tehran�s economic partners to curb their imports of Iranian oil as it prepares to re-impose sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Sputnik has discussed the issue with two Moscow-based experts.




In an interview with�Sputnik, the Russian Institute of�Strategic Studies expert Azhdar Kurtov said that �not a single Asian state, let alone India or China, will rush to�toe Washington�s line.�
�All the more so, since�both India and China have serious across-the-board ties with�Iran, including a number of�major projects in�transport and logistics now in�the pipeline. If Asian states join the anti-Iranian sanctions, these projects will remain on�paper, that�s why we�ll see a serious fight for�Iranian oil,� Kurtov said.


He added that the US warning to�its allies and partners to�end their Iranian oil imports by�November, is meant to�allow Washington US to�fill the gap and �check the economic growth in�the developing countries,� above�all in�China and India.

Irina Fyodorova, an expert with�the Institute of�Oriental Studies in�Moscow, told Sputnik that China, just like�India and South Korea, have past�experience of�responding to�US bans on�Iranian oil exports.

�During the previous round�of sanctions, payments for�oil supplies were not made in�US dollars. This was either a barter or the money was deposited in�Chinese and Indian banks. These funds were returned to�Iran after�the nuclear deal was signed in�2015. I believe that although China and India will downsize their oil imports from�Iran, they will not roll them up�altogether,� Fyodorova noted.
�There will be a gradual reduction and I think that for�all the bullishness the current US president is known for, [Asian countries] will still take their time zeroing their oil imports from�Iran,� Fyodorova concluded.


Washington is advising India to�think whether Iran really is a country it wants to�continue doing business with, US Ambassador to�the UN Nikki Haley said in�an interview with�NDTV on�Friday.

She added that reconsidering ties with�Tehran would make India less dependent on�Iranian oil supplies.

India's oil ministry earlier asked local refiners to�prepare for�a "drastic reduction or zero" of�imports of�Iranian oil starting in�November, Reuters reported, citing industry sources.

It added, however, that New Delhi does not recognize unilateral restrictions imposed by�Washington, and instead follows UN sanctions.

At the same time, senior US officials were in�Europe, the Middle East and Asia pressing local governments to�wind down�their crude imports from�Iran.

On June 26, a high-ranking State Department official� told reports that similar discussions were now also underway with�China, the world�s main buyer of�Iranian oil.

These words were not lost on�Beijing, whose official diplomatic spokesman Lu Kang said that China and Iran were good friends and maintained close economic, trade and energy ties fully in�line with�international law.

On Friday, The Global Times quoted several Chinese experts as�saying that Chinese enterprises will not follow the example of�the European firms and will not pull out�of Iran after�US sanctions kick in.

Right now there are nearly 100 Chinese companies working in�Iran and investing in�the country�s energy, auto-making and infrastructural sectors.

Earlier, Bloomberg reported that more than�a dozen European companies had either suspended or cut off�trade and investment deals with�Iran to�avoid being sanctioned by�Washington.

During the previous round�of anti-Iranian sanctions, India and China were among�a handful of�countries to�continue buying Iranian oil.