Japan said on Thursday it had not yet been granted a waiver from a U.S. plan to reimpose sanctions aimed at cutting Iran out of international markets, while the top two customers for Iranian oil, China and India, were awaiting word on possible exemptions, Reuters reported.
The United States has said it is considering waivers on sanctions for countries that are reducing their imports of Iranian oil. The renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran are set to come into effect on Nov. 4.
“Japan-U.S. talks have been conducted four times so far on U.S. sanctions on Iran,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s top government spokesman, told a news conference.
“The Japanese side has asked that the impact would not affect the activities of Japanese companies. I’d like to refrain from further comments on the details of the talks.”
U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday the Trump administration wants sanctions on Iran’s crude exports to strain Tehran, but does not want to harm countries that depend on the oil.
India also hopes to secure a waiver, as it has significantly cut Iranian oil imports ahead of the deadline, officials there said last month.
“The U.S. is aware of our stand. We have told them that we cannot stop buying Iranian oil. We will continue to buy Iranian oil in this fiscal year,” an Indian government official said on Thursday.
















