Reported Russia-Iran Oil Talks Concern U.S.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris on January 13, 2014.
White House spokesman Jay Carney says the United States has raised concerns with Russia about reports that Moscow and Tehran are negotiating a barter agreement for Iranian oil.
Carney said in Washington on January 14 that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had raised the concerns with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris on January 14.
Carney told journalists at a White House press conference that "if the reports are true, such a deal" would be "inconsistent with the terms of the P5+1 agreement with Iran, and could potentially trigger U.S. sanctions."
Reuters issued an exclusive report about the barter negotiations on January 10, quoted unnamed Russian and Iranian officials close to the talks.
The Reuters report said the negotiations were for purchase of up to 500,000 barrels of Iranian oil per day – worth about $1.5 billion a month -- "in exchange for Russian equipment and goods."
Based on a report by Reuters and a White House press briefing.