- European Union member states have agreed in principle to ban imports of Iranian crude oil to put pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.
- The move is expected to be announced formally at an EU Foreign Ministers' meeting at the end of January.
- The United States, which recently imposed fresh sanctions on Iran, has welcomed the news.
- Iran has dismissed the threat of new sanctions and denied Western claims that it is trying to develop a nuclear weapons programme.
- Iran has also denied that a record low of its currency this week was linked to punitive U.S. measures against its banks.
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