S Korea likely to resume imports of Iran crude next month

South Korea is likely to resume oil imports from Iran as early as next month, a government source said Wednesday. The imports were halted earlier because of a European Union ban on insuring Iranian oil shipments due to Tehran's suspected nuclear program. "The Iranian side and local oil refineries are discussing the measure of using Iranian oil tankers (for the imports)," South Korean news agency (Yonhap) quoted the source as saying. "The discussion is making progress," the source noted. Crude oil imports from Iran have been suspended since the early-July insurance embargo, which is part of the EU's broader sanctions against Iran for its nuclear programs.