An increase in Iranian oil output will boost the country's political power, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Monday as Tehran and world powers pursue talks to lift US sanctions that have stopped it from pumping anywhere near capacity since 2018.
"Increasing Iran's oil production capacity increases Iran's security and political power. Oil is not just economic power," the ministry's website SHANA quoted Zanganeh as saying.
Former US President Donald Trump exited Iran's 2015 international nuclear deal three years ago and reimposed sanctions against Iran.