South Africa has expressed willingness to be one of the first states to resume Iranian oil imports from October, coinciding with US government measures to remove anti-Iran sanctions.
South Africa has announced it will send an oil delegation to Iran in mid-October to confer with Iranian officials about details of contracts that will commence the Iranian oil exports to the country.
Meanwhile, the US is scheduled to issue waivers to lift anti-Iran sanctions on October 18, the main obstacle for South Africa to buy Iran's oil.
An official at National Iranian Oil Company has already commented on oil exports to Africa saying efforts to revive exports to the African states, including South Africa and Morocco, will be realized after the removal of sanctions.
On July 14, Iran and world's six major powers known as the Group 5+1 (the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China) concluded their over a decade-long negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear activities which led to the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
According to the text of the document, the anti-Iran sanctions will be removed in
exchange for some limitations on the country’s nuclear energy program; Iran will be recognized by the United Nations as a nuclear power and will continue its uranium enrichment program.
Iran has repeatedly announced its nuclear activities are aimed for peaceful purposes.