WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Wednesday renewed 180-day waivers on Iran sanctions for China, India and seven other economies in exchange for their reducing purchases of oil from Iran.
"The United States and the international community stand shoulder to shoulder in maintaining pressure on the Iranian regime until it fully addresses concerns about its nuclear program," Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement.
The sanctions are one of Washington's main strategies to choke funding to Iran's nuclear program, which Western countries suspect seeks to develop the ability to make weapons. Iran insists the program is for peaceful purposes.
(Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Timothy Gardner; Editing by Sandra Maler)
