Japan has requested that the United States grant it a waiver from new sanctions it is leveling on Iran, pointing to the risk of another economic setback and its already extant plans to reduce oil imports, a senior Foreign Ministry official said.
Japan asked a U.S. delegation on Thursday to "flexibly" apply a bill signed into law by President Barack Obama on New Year's Eve aimed at hampering Iran's crude oil exports, the official said after a two-day meeting in Tokyo.
Japan, which imports about 10 percent of its oil from Iran, noted that the fragility of its economy since the March 11 disasters should be taken into account, although Tokyo well understands the need to step up pressure on Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions. (Japan Times)
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