According to reports, Iran and Afghanistan have finalized an agreement to swap oil products through a 25 km pipeline. The pipeline will transfer petroleum products between the two countries and will connect two new oil depots that have been launched in the border regions of Iran and Afghanistan. Private sector participation is likely in the pipeline construction. 1
In another development, Iran has announced that the Karbala highway will be operational by March 2013. The highway will link Tehran with Iraq, Syria and other countries in the Mediterranean region through Iran’s Khosrawi border. 2
In other developments, according to reports, Iran’s Oil Minister has said that Iran would reconsider relations with South Korea if it completely cut its import of crude oil from Iran. A day before European Union sanctions were to take effect, Rostam Qasemi has said that oil importing countries will have to “pay the price” of sanctions against Iran. 3 Qasemi has also announced that Iran is rapidly replacing foreign oil contractors with domestic ones to cut off dependency on foreigners in its oil industry. 4
Separately, China has responded to the US decision to exempt it from sanctions over imports of Iranian oil by stressing its opposition to unilaterally imposed sanctions depending on domestic laws. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that China finds it even less acceptable when such sanctions are imposed on a third country. 5