Total holds a 50.1 per cent stake in the South Pars project.

U.S. was skeptical whether Russian transit guarantees for other countries such as Ukraine were enforceable.

Work has officially begun to build the German section of a contested gas pipeline from Russia that is opposed by Poland and other countries.

Total will not pay a penalty if it pulls out of a multi-billion-dollar gas project in Iran.

United States was trying to keep prices inflated in order to support U.S. shale oil growth.

Tehran would spare no efforts to maintain its oil production and exports at current levels.

China. the world'.s top crude oil buyer. imported around 655.000 barrels a day on average from Iran in the first quarter of this year.

OPEC and several other non-OPEC producers have reached an agreement to extend the production deal for a further nine months.

Mogherini stressed that the sides should jointly work on the lifting of sanctions as an integral part of the historic nuclear deal.

The experiment will see if wind power can be harnessed to cut the region'.s diesel fuel consumption.