The department released the number of countries - but not their names - on Tuesday after saying the United States would grant exemptions to the sanctions to Japan and 10 European Union nations that have cut shipments of Iranian oil.
Countries that won the exemptions have a six-month reprieve from the threat of being cut off from the US financial system under sanctions designed to pressure Iran over its nuclear program, which the West suspects is intended to produce weapons.
Iran says that its program is solely to generate power.
A government source who is not in the State Department earlier gave Reuters a list of 13 countries that did not get an exemption on Tuesday and could be subject to the sanctions.
That list included Morocco. The State Department official, however, said that its information was that Morocco last bought Iranian crude oil in June 2010 and therefore was not among the 12 that may face the sanctions.
However, he stressed that the assessment of which countries could be subject to the sanctions was a dynamic process and that other countries could be added, or dropped, as additional information becomes available.
The State Department official gave the following list of the 12 countries that remain potentially subject to sanctions. The group includes China and India, the top two importers of Iran's crude, and South Korea, the fourth-largest buyer.
Country Rank in top buyers of Iranian crude
China 1
India 2
Indonesia NA
Malaysia NA
Pakistan NA
Philippines NA
Singapore NA
South Africa 9
South Korea 4
Sri Lanka NA
Taiwan NA
Turkey NA
(NA indicates the country's ranking was not immediately available)
COMMENTS (41)
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@Bombay Dude:
I never considered India to be a state sponsor of terror like PAK, Iran or North Korea....
As for being with or against any nation that is a call for the leadership of the nations involved. In this case PAK has to decide what is best in its long term interest. Should it decide conducting trade with Iran is in its better interest than having friendly relations with the US, then by all means that is what PAK should do. Equally what I beleive the US has been saying is there will be consequences resulting from whatever decision PAK makes. This is not a case of PAK getting a free ride or having it both ways as it is so prone to wanting to do. PAK is really going to have to decide.
@World Police: Amen to your words brother. Remember, Japan too started pretty humbly doing reverse engineering and I do remember my days in Sweden when people would laugh at the thought of buying Japanese car. Today Toyota and Honda has brought the big threes ( of yester years ) to knees. All of your daily use major electronics are either Korean or Japanese. With world's intellect property in it's pocket how long until China perfects their capability ? Remember China was nothing just 20 years ago. And 20 years is a way short time. Another good example if you may, The high speed rail in China has far surpassed high speed rails in Europe and Japan. And mind it they are ding way good being just a very very new player in this technology. Not to mention their successful space station docking demonstration a feat which is yet to be achieved even by Europeans. Also with utmost sincerety and due respect , not all technologies were born in USA , they were bought by deep pockets of USA. Latest example .....Skype. So now since China's pocket growing deep , how far is the day when their companies start bidding for the best brains in the world ? I am Indian, and I am not worried much about China's military might since India and China , whatever the media says or what west think will never end up fighting an open war. What worries me most is the economical competition with China. Think about what I said!!
PAK can be the counter of the US.... If not PAK then maybe you are right you want China to be. I am sure China will do more good in the world than the US.
Go ahead Pakistan!!!
@Bombay Dude
I agree that the Chinese are making some ground on their military upgrading but they are limited in their scope and knowledge of technology. China is a factory to the world and all they know is reverse engineering, they do not create anything to pose any kind of threat to the U.S. for the foreseeable future.
@World Police: "The United States, as the sole superpower in the world has Carte Blanche to do whatever they want to do. "..............Cannot agree less on the fact, but whether like it ...NO.......monopoly in any segment is bad for common people , this leads to imperialism and even American people are suffering from it to be honest. W need a balance, even if it means someone countering USA influence. And this is exactly why USA is trying it's level best to curb China's growth. Doesn't it surprise any American, how come the society of America allow so much of it's business go to China, when in fact they HATE COMMUNISTS to the core. Hell an American hates communist more than a terrorist. Still some how they managed to fuel China's economy to an extent that their own blue color workers are jobless and also established an economic giant who is very rapidly increasing it's military might to deter even USA. Think about that!
The United States, as the sole superpower in the world has Carte Blanche to do whatever they want to do. Get used to it.
An Asian Union, where Pak, Bangladesh, India and China join hands for economic progress of it's civilians will severely make the wets suffer. Something they can never tolerate, hence they keep on planning ways to keep us fighting with each other. New drama is UNHRC commision on Sri lanka and cornering India to make a difficult choice. Ofcourse Sri Lanka in log run will start being against India, thereby openeing another front of conflict. West will keep supplying arms, we will keep buying them and fighting each other. Our resources and cheap labor will be channeled to them and vicious cycle continues. Unless we settle our differences once and for all and start taking drastic steps to resolve our isssue and start working together, west will continue to exploit us. Time for us to step up. East is rising, and west should not be allowed to curb this rise. Believe me, this is exactly what people like Harry Stone here are worried about.
@Harry Stone: "You are missing an opportunity you need to include North Korea in your circle of friends. PAK shares much in common with these nations".....yet another typical red neck who firmly believes in punch line of America "IF YOU ARE NOT WITH US , YOU ARE AGAINST US".....that sentence itself shows high level of insecurity and bully attitude. Just because India and Iran are friend does not mean it has to be friend of North Korea or any one alike for that matter. We do not break relations to make new one. And on the contrary your government loves to dictate others on whom they should be friendly with and whom they shouldn't be friendly with. Seriously dude ?????? Isn;t this like third grader bullying ?? If USA and nations who have problems with Iran and want to sanction them , so be it, it is your own political call. But why press others to follow them ? We do not care who has bombs. Come on, Pakistan has bomb, what can be worse than that ?....I really admire your media in convincing people like you who glue their eyes to idiot box believing all that comes out of fox and cnn. Have you every questioned yourself this one question. What moral grounds do you stand on to stop others achieving a technology of which you yourself made a gross use of ?? Remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki ? Go back to your history class and refresh your memory before preaching us.
Love Iranis, maybe their government officials are stupid as ours. I do not like such sanctions because the only people who suffer are common people, I do not see this affecting their leaders in any way. US and likes who are developed countries are smarter to understand this. Well politics is not my cup of tea. But I am glad atleast this is one such rare occasions where India and Pakistan are on same page. Hope common Irani people get strength and they do get through these difficult times soon. No humans deserve loosing a right to earn a bread.
@Rana:
And yet life is so much better in the US than at the highest level in PAK. But I agree the US should focus on its own nation and stop wasting money on failed nations likes PAK
Why should we be worried about it? Pakistan should put a condition to stop NATO supply that is basically US supply if any sanctions are imposed. US should not interfere in everything and anything that is happening in the world. They should first concentrate to improve their domestic conditions - huge debt in trillions, unemployment, economic conditions, etc.
@dpd: Thank you for informing us that you are from SA. What was your contribution towards eliminating apartheid? Burundi is it not in Africa? What role did SA take towards stopping the genocide? It is not what the country could do for you but what you can do for the country.
The US never learns – it's pursuing its tired old policy of sanctions which only helps the targeted regime consolidate power. Look at North Korea. The population has been suffering tremendously. The Jong-Ils are still in control and North Korea has the bomb too. Nothing has been achieved by economic isolation.
Amid sanctions against Iran, a country in the international community has to choices of action: eithe to be a sheep or a lone wolf. A sheep acts according to the herd mentality and follows where the others are heading. A lone wolf prefers to be on its own and stand its ground.
Soon US, the policeman of the World will have sanctions placed on everyone. Soon also approaches the time when no one wil give a horses patut about what the US wants. Give India the credit for standing up to the bullies. Go India!
@dpd: "...then mate for the next 10 centuries both the countries will be arming themselves without doing anything for the poor in those countries..." Don't try to justify the bankruptcy of intellect by using words like "both". There is nothing common between us which we do not have in common with any other people. In fact, much much less. We were never your mates, nor shall we ever be. Our poor are our responsibility, not yours. Don't try to shortchange your poor hiding behind us! "... and will probably wipe each other of this earth. " I can assure you, you being able to wipe off India is a laugh. If you have not learnt it from your experience of 60+ years, you are probably due for some very rude awakening. We have been here for tens of millenia and we shall continue to be here for more such millenia. It is your existence that is very much in doubt!
@Paras Vikmani:
You are missing an opportunity you need to include North Korea in your circle of friends. PAK shares much in common with these nations
@anoni:
This should come as no surprise to you given how PAK has acted as an ally. If you believe PAK has acted honorable then you are mistaken... Enjoy.
@Nand Pakistan has it's own problems and only the people of Pakistan can solve these problems using the BALLOT paper. Yes Pakistan and India, both has had their own shares of problems and if the people of the two countries who share a lot of traditional values do not stop throwing stones at each other, then mate for the next 10 centuries both the countries will be arming themselves without doing anything for the poor in those countries and will probably wipe each other of this earth.
@wonderfull I am not from Pakistan. I am a South African of Indian origin. Tell me friend, where was the US when the mass killings were taking place in a small country like BURUNDI. Why is the US trying to help the ARABS. The ARABS can help themselves. The US is only interested in the OIL. In Iraq they promised the EU with contracts, but the EU did not take the bait. Today Iraq is completly demolished. All infrastructure destroyed. No outside companies willing to assist with the rebuilding of the infrastuctures. The legacy when the US pulls out will be HISTORY. The same with Vietnam. The Superpowers that be with all their might are just fools in this world of ours. Look at Russia and Afghanistan , Vietnam and the US., Iraq and the US and also Afghanistan and the US.
I hope that the sitting Parliament have taken into consideration that US has Pakistan on the list whom they may target if their unilateral sanction are not followed by Pakistan. This is nothing more then black mail, I hope our so called leaders are not to anxious to press the reset button without guarding Pakistan's interest first and not their own. Lets see what metal are these leaders are made of.
Zionist are have made the whole world hostage
India and China should not bow to these tactics. Iran is our friend.
'America's War OF Terror' on the Muslim World will keep on coming up with innovative ideas to exterminate the Muslim Souls from the Planet Earth.
Hahahaha. A very tempting list! But we should wait for the state department to release a statement.
@dpd: How is near defunct and terrorist Pakistan doing?
@dpd: USA is a bankrupt country. Yet Pakistan always accepts its aid with a bowl in its hand. Why is is that the world is listening and compliying, including to your last remaining freind (accordingly to Pakistani people only) China? Is there a cross-wire in Pakistan because of your hatered?
Further proof US is our greatest ally /sarcasm.
@anoni: You stopped being an allie the days you stopped the transit. Please for Allah's sake for once talk the truth.
@ Basit So Liberal Pakistanis are sponsored by Indians ? wow sweeping generalization you sir accused lot of your countrymen of being traitors. When India and Pakistan worried about sanctions, you are worrying about what Indians will comment, says lot about you.
Where did the names come from if only the number was released?
if russia comes in scene then things may change with the help of regional countries to form economical support system or press US and iran to change positions to reduce the impact of sanctions, on the other hand we'll see DPC & PTI coming in forefront with full force in internal politics so the political environment may tilt to ultra right wing soon we'll be watching anti US rallies.
@Basit: inda is on the list but is trying to make arrangements and has taken steps to curtail import from iran, and since long it is using a turkish bank for payments. and the indian delegation has gone to iran to discuss the issue further. any such step taken by your country?
@anoni: Whether you ever were or not is quite questionable.
gud.. Now we pak should be at side either totaly with US or totaly against US
Finally, something right the Pakistan government is doing. Liberal Pakistani commentators and their Indian sponsors will be hard pressed to condemn Pakistan on this, since India is also on the list.
Decisions, decisions!
What is the debt of the USA? Fifteen TRILLION and above? What is their Inflation percentage (2%) ? How much dollar are they printing daily for their economic consumption and the war against terrorism? How much of the debt is owned by China? The US of A is a bankrupt country. They manipulate the world financial markets. I want to see them dictate to the Chinese to stop buying Iranian oil. Oh and by the way, the longer they stay in IRAQ and Afganistan the deeper they are digging their graves.
and we are still the allies on so called war on Terror and yet we are likely to get sanction. Now do we call this diplomacy or hypocracy :P