US exempts India, S.Korea and five others from Iran oil sanctions

Because these countries have significantly cut purchases of Iranian oil

The United States will exempt India, South Korea, Turkey and four other countries from financial sanctions because they have significantly cut purchases of Iranian oil, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday.

Clinton said exemptions would also be granted to Malaysia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Taiwan, which join Japan and a number of European countries already on the list of those exempted from the US sanctions.

"Today's announcement underscores the success of our sanctions implementation. By reducing Iran's oil sales, we are sending a decisive message to Iran's leaders: until they take concrete actions to satisfy the concerns of the international community, they will continue to face increasing isolation and pressure," Clinton said in a statement.