An Iranian official said Iran was importing wheat from the United States via intermediaries, a newspaper reported on Monday, in the first official admission that such an indirect trade was taking place. Asked by Kargozaran newspaper whether Iran was buying wheat from the United States, Deputy Commerce Minister Majid Parsania replied.
"Yes, indirectly we buy wheat from America. America is one of the major producers and sellers of wheat, therefore we are forced to buy wheat from the United States of America." Iranian officials have previously said Iran, which suffered a drought this year that prompted it to import the grain, was not directly buying wheat from the United States but have stopped short of denying indirect purchases were taking place.
The United States, which has not had diplomatic ties with Iran since 1980, has long imposed trade sanctions and, in recent months, has stepped up restrictions on the Islamic Republic.
Parsania said the indirect trade should not be interpreted as a statement about the relationship between the two countries. "Other countries buy wheat from America and then we buy wheat from them. Of course, you should be aware that buying wheat from America has no specific meaning," he said. Kargozaran said in July the Commerce Ministry had to import 1 million tonnes of wheat a month, based on a decision by the government. But it did not cite a source for that report.
Asked about the figure of 1 million tonnes a month in Monday's edition of the newspaper, Parsania said only: "Wheat import takes place for strategic storage and day-to-day needs."
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