Iranian lawmakers call for embargo on oil sales to EU

            More than two-thirds of Iran's lawmakers have endorsed a statement calling for cutting off oil sales to the European Union before EU sanctions on their country go into effect. The statement, which was read Wednesday in an open session of parliament broadcast on state radio, said "in the case of the continuation of illogical policies" by the EU, Iran will look for alternative customers for its oil before the European embargo goes into effect in the summer. The statement was signed by 200 of the parliament's 290 lawmakers. The EU sanctions are part of the West's efforts to pressure Iran over its controversial nuclear program. Iran on Tuesday rejected as an "antagonistic move" President Barack Obama's executive order tightening U.S. sanctions that targets the Islamic state's central bank and gives U.S. banks new powers to freeze assets linked to the Iranian government. "It is an antagonistic move ... a psychological war which has no impact ... There is nothing new, it has been going on for over 30 years," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a weekly news conference. "Sanctions will not have any impact on our nuclear course." On Saturday, Iran's oil minister said the country would "definitely" cut off oil to "hostile" European countries.