National Iranian Oil Company

Hellenic Petroleum, Greece’s largest refinery, has struck a deal to buy oil from the National Iranian Oil Company in the first sale of Iranian crude oil to a European country since trade sanctions were lifted. The long-term agreement announced on Friday said that deliveries are to begin immediately.

Iran wants to avoid an oil price war with rival producers and only gradually lift exports once sanctions against it are lifted, a senior official said, in what would be a major shift away from planning to ship as much fuel as soon as possible. 

Royal Dutch Shell has recently held talks in Iran to discuss business cooperation with the oil and gas-rich country, in preparation for the possible removal of international sanctions on Tehran.