Abdolnaser Hemmati, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, confirmed during a live television interview on Wednesday evening, August 19, that Iran’s oil exports have completely halted.
Hemmati expressed hope that the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States could be revived and that negotiations could resume.
While claiming that revenues for regional exporters such as Qatar and Iraq have dropped to near zero due to present geopolitical conditions, the Central Bank chief highlighted that Iran’s key distinction lies in its restricted financial reserves.
Citing the blocking of Iranian assets by the United States, Hemmati noted: “The sharp decline in revenues from oil, taxation, and social security premiums has severely impacted every sector of the Iranian economy.”
This statement marks the first official confirmation by a high-ranking Islamic Republic official regarding the total shutdown of Iran’s oil exports.
