SOUTH AFRICA would be sanctioned by the United States if it failed to meet the deadline to cut oil imports from Iran, the South African Petroleum Industry Association (PIA) has warned.Washington has set June 28 as the deadline to “significantly reduce” oil imports from Iran, the association said in remarks published by the local Beeld newspaper on Friday.If South Africa did not drastically cut its imports, it would have to expedite requests to the United States for a postponement and temporary exemption from economic sanctions, the PIA said.The government, oil companies and banks that paid for oil from Iran had to lodge an official undertaking before June 28 with the United States to scale down on the imports and apply the change visibly.“This is not a business decision for us. It involves a political decision about political pressure,” PIA Executive Director Avhapfani Tshifularo said.“We expect a Cabinet decision by the end of the month, and we will allow ourselves to be guided by that,” Tshifularo said.Halting oil imports from Iran is part of the U. S.-imposed sanctions designed to halt Tehran’s suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons.South African crude oil imports from Iran rose to 505,908 tons in March, up from 417,188 tons the previous month, customs data showed.At least 26 percent of South Africa’s crude oil is imported monthly from Iran.
