Iran: 'no details' of Iran oil sold off by US

Iran said Monday it had no details about a consignment of Iranian crude oil imported into the United States, after US authorities seized an oil tanker off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

The import showed up in figures released over the weekend by the U.S. Energy Information Agency, raising the eyebrows of commodities traders as Tehran remains targeted by a series of American sanctions.

Iran's foreign ministry in Tehran said it knew nothing of the matter.

"I have no details about this issue, Since (the administration of) former U.S president Mr. (Bill) Clinton, no oil has been bought from Iran, because of the laws they had passed, " said ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh. "Maybe they mean some other issue."

The oil came from the MT Achilleas, a ship seized in February by the U.S. off the Emirati port city of Fujairah.

U.S court documents allege the Achilleas was subject to forfeiture under American anti-terrorism statutes as Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard tried to use it to sell crude oil to China, in defiance of US sanctions.

The U.S. has identified the Guard as a terrorist organization since the administration of former President Donald Trump.

Prosecutors say the Iranians tried to disguise the shipment by labeling it as "Basra light crude" from neighbouring Iraq.

The U.S. government brought the Achilleas to Houston, Texas, where it sold the two million barrels on board for $110 million, around $55 a barrel, court documents show.

The money will be held in escrow while court proceedings continue.