Iran stops oil exports to Britain, France

TEHRAN - Iran has stopped oil exports to British and French companies, months before the European Union's embargo on Iran's oil takes effect, Iran's oil ministry said Sunday.

Oil ministry spokesman Alireza Nikzad-Rahbar said as the oil minister had earlier announced about the probability of halting oil exports to some European Union (EU) countries, "the Oil Ministry has stopped oil sales to British and French companies."

The Islamic Republic has no problem in selling its crude oil to its customers, Nikzad-Rahbar said. "We have our own oil customers and the replacements for these (British and French) companies have already been considered and we will sell the crude oil to new customers instead of the British and French companies."

The spokesman's remarks, which did not specify the time of the sales' cut to the British and French companies, were posted on the website of Energy and Oil Information Network affiliated to the Iranian Oil Ministry.