By Timothy Gardner and Roberta Rampton
WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) – The United States will grant
180-day waivers on Iran sanctions to China, India and seven
other countries on Friday in exchange for those economies
cutting purchases of oil from the Islamic Republic, a
congressional aide said.
President Barack Obama’s administration is renewing waivers
for all of Iran’s major oil buyers, after granting them to Japan
and 10 countries in the European Union in September.
The sanctions aim to choke funding to Iran’s nuclear
program, which the West suspects is enriching uranium to levels
that could be used in weapons. Tehran says the program is for
civilian purposes.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also grant the
waivers, known as “exceptions” to South Korea, South Africa,
Turkey, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan, the aide
said.
Iran’s oil exports have fallen 50 percent this year in the
face of U.S. and EU sanctions.
