The U.S. attempt to prevent Iran exporting oil suffered a blow after a United Arab Emirates sheikh laid claim to a cargo that Washington seized and alleged is from the Islamic Republic.
A company controlled by the Emirate of Fujairah’s ruler told a U.S. court that the roughly 2 million barrels of crude was originally from Iraq.
Fujairah International Oil & Gas Corp., wholly owned by Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, said it’s an intermediary seller of the oil, according to a claim filed in a federal court in the District of Columbia.
The case underscores the difficulty the U.S. faces as it tries to bar Iran from generating income from energy sales and pressure it into re-starting nuclear talks.
While shipments of Iranian oil have slumped due to threat of U.S. penalties, they have picked in recent months, though their origin is often disguised. The main buyers are refiners in China.
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