Tanzania must stop
re-flagging Iran tankers: U.S. lawmaker
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - Tanzania must stop the practice of "re-flagging" Iranian
oil tankers or it will face the threat of U.S. sanctions and damage its ties
with Washington, a U.S. lawmaker warned on Friday.
Howard
Berman, the ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, accused
Tanzania of reflagging at least six and possibly as many at 10 tankers owned by
the National Iranian Tanker Company.
"This action
by your government has the effect of assisting the Iranian regime in evading
U.S. and EU sanctions and generating additional revenues for its nuclear
enrichment and weapons research program and its support for international
terrorism," Berman said in a letter to President Jakaya Kikwete that was
obtained by Reuters.
Berman
said if the tankers were allowed to continue sailing under the Tanzanian flag,
Tanzania could face the sanctions that President Barack Obama signed into law.
He
said Congress would also have "no choice" but to consider whether to
continue the range of bilateral U.S. programs with Tanzania.
Officials
at Tanzania's embassy were not immediately available to comment on Berman's
letter.
The
sanctions, along with similar action by the European Union, are aimed at
pressuring Iran to curb its nuclear program, which the West believes aims to
develop nuclear weapons but which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes.
The
United States gave China a six-month reprieve from Iran financial sanctions on
Thursday. The Obama administration has now spared all 20 of Iran's major oil
buyers from its unilateral sanctions, rewarding them for cutting purchases of
Iranian oil.
(Reporting
By Russ Blinch; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer)
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