NCRI - Sankei Shimbun, a Japanese daily reported on Thursday that senior US officials have called on Japan to halt development of a massive oil field in Iran amid concern that revenue from the project could fuel Iranian regime's nuclear drive.

Qouting anonymous sources close to the US government Sankei Shimbun reported that Washington had asked Japan to halt the two-billion-dollar Azadegan project.

The demands were made informally by US officials including Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick and undersecretary of state for arms control Robert Joseph.
 
The US embassy told Agence France Presse that Japan was aware of US opposition to investment in Iran but declined to comment on whether Washington has pressured Tokyo to stop the Azadegan project.

"We have discussed our views on this and related matters and Japan knows our position on this matter," a US embassy spokesman said.

But a Japanese foreign ministry spokeswoman said Japan "is holding no concrete talks with the United States" on the future of the project, according to AFP.
 
Japan's largest oil refiner, Nippon Oil, last week said it would cut imports from Iran by 15 percent this year, in what was seen as a precaution in case the nuclear standoff escalates and puts the oil industry at risk.