Official: Iran skilled in trade at ports under sanctions

Deputy Head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) for Maritime Affairs, Hadi Haqshenas, downplayed impacts of the US sanctions on the country's ability to continue trade at its ports.

"We did not have any problem during the cruel sanctions imposed on the country in the past, and loading and unloading of goods were carried out despite the fact that a number of ship liners left the Iranian ports immediately (after the US sanctions)," Haqshenas told FNA on Sunday.

He added that a vast part of loading and unloading operations as well as carrying goods to and from Iran before and after the US sanctions were conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines in the past, and "the same will be done in future" to defuse the US ban on foreign ship liners' voyage to Iranian ports, if they happen to comply with Washington's sanctions.

In relevant remarks in February, Managing Director of Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran, Mohammad Rastad, downplayed the US pressures and sanctions against his country's shipping and marine industry.

"Iran's marine industry cannot be threatened and stopped and despite all pressures, we have loaded and unloaded 240mln tons of sea cargos," Rastad said, addressing a forum in Tehran.

EA