A South Korean government delegation has sought U.S. cooperation on extending its waiver on sanctions for Iranian oil imports. 

The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said on Friday that the delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Yoon Kang-hyun, met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Francis Fannon and other officials in Washington on Thursday to discuss the possible waiver extension. 

Yoon requested Washington to exercise the utmost flexibility for South Korea as he underlined the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and the importance of Iranian condensate for Korean petrochemical industries. 

In response, Fannon said he will take into consideration South Korea’s unique situation while reaffirming that Washington’s basic stance is that it will further apply pressure and sanctions on Iran. 

Earlier on Thursday, a Foreign Ministry official had suggested that Seoul’s efforts to draw U.S. cooperation on the matter wouldn't be easy. 

Last November, the U.S. reimposed a set of sanctions on Iran but granted a six-month waiver to eight countries, including South Korea, allowing them to continue to purchase Iranian oil at sharply reduced volumes. The temporary exemption ends on May third.