Iran is ready to stop oil exports to countries supporting Israel but such an embargo would be effective only if other nations cooperate, parliament speaker Mr Mehdi Karroubi said today.
Mr Karroubi, a close political ally to President Mr Mohammad Khatami, made no reference to neighbouring Iraq's decision yesterday to suspend all oil exports for one month.
"Iran is ready to stop oil exports to countries supporting Israel, but it will be effective when other countries cooperate with Iran," he said.
Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's top oil producer, said earlier today it will guarantee secure supplies, despite calls for a protest stoppage by fellow OPEC-members Iran, Iraq and Libya.
Iran's supreme religious leader, Mr Ayatollah Khamenei, called on Friday for Arab states to introduce a symbolic one-month embargo on the West to pressure them to stop supporting Israel and its attacks in the West Bank.