A number of European countries, including Spain and Italy, have expressed interest in purchasing oil from Iran.
Announcing this, Shana quoted the Director of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for International Affairs Mohsen Qamsari as saying that a long-term contract guarantees oil sales and that's why the Oil Ministry will seek to replace the current spot contracts with Europe for long-term contracts.
Some European companies such as the French Total have already signed long-term contracts with Iran, according to Qamsari.
In January, the European Union, the United Nations, and partially the United States, lifted sanctions against the Islamic Republic after the International Atomic Energy Agency verified Tehran's compliance with a nuclear agreement reached in July 2015. The lifting of sanctions allowed Iranian oil producers to reenter the global market.
