Iran has started to sell oil to private buyers through its energy exchange for the first time as part of efforts to counter the imminent return of U.S. sanctions.<br />The sanctions are aimed at stopping the country's key crude exports and follows President Trump's decision to walk out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.<br />They are due to come into effect on November fourth.<br />Only 280,000 barrels were sold on Sunday out of one million offered, and they went for just under 75 dollars a barrel.<br />However, Tehran says it is confident the U.S. sanctions will not reduce its oil exports to the level of less than one million barrels per day. <br />
