Iran to file international complaints against 20 countries

Azerbaijan, Baku, June 5/Trend M. Moezzi Iran will file complaints in international courts against 20 foreign companies for not honouring their oil and gas contracts. Originally nearly 40 foreign companies had failed to live up to the contracts they had signed with Iran said Alireza Zeyghami managing director for the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC). After ultimatums from Iran, some of those companies fulfilled their contractual obligations through intermediaries, sending Iran the equipment and spare parts they had promised. As for the remaining corporations, Iran will pursue legal complaints against them, said Mr. Zeygami. One such business is the German company MAN. Iran will file a complaint for breach of contract against MAN to the European Union. Before the new round of international sanctions was levied against Iran, MAN had signed a contract with the NIORDC to sell, install and operate some complex equipment like turbo compressors. The U.S and EU have imposed increasingly tougher sanctions against Iran. They have embargoed its oil industry and sanctioned Iran's Central Bank, moves designed to hurt the country financially. This winter, the European Union (EU) voted to impose a full oil embargo against Iran starting July 1. New contracts will be signed by EU countries with Tehran. These moves have led foreign companies to pull out of their projects. The West's measures are part of an effort to make Iran answer questions about its nuclear programme which it says is peaceful and domestic in nature while the U.S. and its allies contend it is not.