Iran has begun talks with Japanese companies under a US sanctions waiver allowing it to resume oil sales, though prospective buyers are seeking a longer waiver and reassurances about ship safety, three Iranian and Western sources have said, Reuters reports.

Three Japanese buyers were looking at possible crude oil purchases from Iran, their first since 2019, said two Iranian sources, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Japanese and Iranian officials were in initial talks about possible oil sales, a Western industry source familiar with the matter said separately.

An official at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), which oversees fuel supply infrastructure, said he was unaware of any such matter.