Pak admits Iran gas pipeline project cannot go ahead unless US sanctions issue resolved

Islamabad – Pakistan has said it cannot move ahead with the Iran gas pipeline project unless the issue of possible US sanctions is resolved.

The comments from Pakistan came while asking Iran to resolve the issue of possible US sanctions that have delayed the multi-billion dollar gas pipeline project.

According to the Express Tribune, a senior Foreign Office official said that a Pakistani delegation, in its visit to Tehran, expressed reservations over possible sanctions on the project due to tensions between Iran and the United States.

The Pakistani side, including Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Petroleum Secretary Abid Saeed and Pakistan’s Interstate State Gas System Managing Director Mobin Saulat, met with Iran’s Minister of Petroleum Bijan Namdar Zangeneh at the Ministry of Petroleum in Tehran on Monday.

The FO official familiar with the development said that Tehran expressed reservations over a delay in implementation of the project.

The official added that the delay in implementation of the project is due to possible sanctions by the US on the project and therefore Tehran should first resolve this issue.