Iranian Political Commentator Mehdi Mohammadi: Seizure of British Tanker Proves We Are Serious About Enforcing Our Ability to Export Oil

Iranian political commentator Mehdi Mohammadi said in a July 24, 2019 interview on Channel 2 TV (Iran) that Europe needs the JCPOA to remain intact for security reasons because it has no alternative, and he said that Europe would be the first to be negatively impacted if the JCPOA is harmed. Mohammadi also said that by seizing Stena Imperio, the British oil tanker, Iran has shown that it is willing to implement its threats to ensure that nobody will be able to export oil or enjoy security if Iran cannot do so itself. He said that other countries will take Iran's position into consideration as a result.

Mehdi Mohammadi: "The Europeans need the JCPOA for security reasons. They have no alternative for it. If, for any reason the JCPOA is harmed, the Europeans will be the first to get hurt. The first to pay the price for the disruption of the European security arrangements will be the Europeans themselves.

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"In recent months, we have said several times that if we cannot export oil, others won't be able to do it either. We have said that if we do not have security, others will not have security, either. In principle, the party that so far...This is something that is becoming clear, and everybody is beginning to understand it. We are the ones who have maintained security in the Strait [of Hormuz] thus far. If we make a different decision, the circumstances will change. I believe that by [taking over the British tanker], Iran has showed that it is not all talk and that it can implement this threat. In other words, we can significantly impact the strategic corridor of energy, and this is something that the other side will take into consideration, I believe."