Oil market held 'hostage' by Saudi Arabia, Russia: Iran
Tehran, Sep 16 : Saudi Arabia and Russia have held "hostage" the oil market as US President Donald Trump seeks to impose new sanctions on Iranian oil sales, a senior Iranian energy official has said.
"Russia and Saudi Arabia claim they seek to balance the global oil market, but they are trying to take over a part of Iran's share," Iran's governor of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency on Saturday.
"Trump's efforts to cut Iran's access to the global crude market has prompted Russia and Saudi Arabia to take hostage the oil market," Kazempour Ardebili said.
On Saturday, he accused Moscow and Riyadh of welcoming sanctions against Iran for their own gain, and warned that such actions would damage the credibility of OPEC, according to Tasnim, Xinhua reported.
Ardebili also said "Saudi Arabia and UAE are turning the OPEC into a US tool".
US sanctions on Iran snapped back on August 6, a move after US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal on May 8. The sanctions would include targeting Iran's automotive sector, trade in gold, and other key metals.
The remaining sanctions will snap back on November 4. These sanctions will include targeting Iran's energy sector and petroleum-related transactions, and transactions with the Central Bank of Iran.
Washington's withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear deal was criticised across the world. Some of its major European allies have been working to prevent the 2015 deal from falling apart.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
RR beat RCB by six wickets in IPL
Guwahati (PTI): Blistering fifties by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel powered Rajasthan Royals to a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL match here on Friday.
Sent in to bat, RCB rode on a fighting half-century by skipper Rajat Patidar (63) to post 201 for 8.
Virat Kohli (32), Romario Shepherd (22) and Venkatesh Iyer (29) also chipped in with useful contributions.
In reply, Sooryavanshi (78 off 26 balls) and Dhruv Jurel (81 not out off 43 balls) shared a 37-ball 108-run partnership for the second wicket to set the platform. Krunal Pandya (2/30) tried to bring them back with back-to-back wickets.
But Jurel, in the company of Ravindra Jadeja (24), completed the task with another 68-run stand, with two overs to spare.
For RR, Jofra Archer (2/33), Ravi Bishnoi (2/32) and Brijesh Sharma (2/37) took two wickets.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 201 for 8 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 63; Jofra Archer 2/33, Ravi Bishnoi 2/32, Brijesh Sharma 2/37).
Rajasthan Royals: 202 for 4 in 18 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 78, Dhruv Jurel 80 not out; Krunal Pandya 2/30, Josh Hazlewood 2/44).
