EU Agrees to Ban Iranian Oil Imports

 　　European Union governments have agreed to ban imports of Iranian oil as part of a Western campaign to pressure Iran over its controversial nuclear program.

　　EU diplomats¹ said Wednesday the governments of the 27-nation bloc² agreed in principle on an Iranian oil embargo³ but need more time to discuss when to implement⁴ the measure. France wants EU foreign ministers to set a date for the embargo at a meeting on January 30.

　　Western powers accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian⁵ energy program, a charge Tehran denies.

　　U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland welcomed the EU agreement to ban Iranian oil imports, saying other countries should take similar action to "tighten⁶ the noose⁷ on Iran economically."

　　The EU is one of Iran's biggest markets for oil, an export that generates most of the Iranian government's revenue.  China is the top buyer of Iranian oil. Some traders say Iran may be forced to offer steep discounts on its oil to attract other buyers and make up for lost exports to the EU.

　　Diplomats say several EU nations that currently import significant amounts of Iranian crude, such as Greece and Spain, dropped their objections to an embargo, allowing the agreement to be reached.

　　Turkey is another major purchaser of Iranian oil. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived in Tehran Wednesday for talks on bilateral⁸ relations and regional issues, including a political crisis in Iraq and an uprising in Syria.

　　Before departing Turkey, Davutoglu said Ankara is opposed to the escalation⁹ of sectarian tensions in countries such as Iraq and Syria. He said Turkey wants to prevent a sectarian Cold War that he warned would be "suicide" for the region.

　　The United States imposed its toughest financial sanctions yet on Iran at the end of December, penalizing¹⁰ institutions that deal with the Iranian central bank. China criticized the U.S. move Wednesday, saying the issue of Iran's nuclear program should be resolved through diplomacy¹¹.

　　Tehran has responded by threatening to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping¹² lane for global oil supplies.

1 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

3 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

4 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

7 noose   

n.绳套，绞索（刑）；v.用套索捉；使落入圈套；处以绞刑

参考例句：

• They tied a noose round her neck.他们在她脖子上系了一个活扣。
• A hangman's noose had already been placed around his neck.一个绞刑的绳圈已经套在他的脖子上。

8 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

9 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

10 penalizing   

对…予以惩罚( penalize的现在分词 )； 使处于不利地位

参考例句：

• This is more than just penalizing a company that you are mad at. 她说：这将远远超过惩罚一个你感到不满的公司。

11 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

12 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。