Iran buys US wheat despite nuclear tensions

Iran has made a rare purchase of US wheat as it tries to build its food stockpiles amid tougher sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe over its nuclear program, the US government said on Thursday. The US Agriculture Department reported that Iran bought 120,000 tonnes of US wheat - enough to fill two large cargo ships.
Any sale of grain to Iran requires Treasury Department approval, said USDA spokeswoman Sally Klusaritz. It was not immediately clear who made the sale or whether the Treasury Department approved the sale before it was announced by USDA earlier on Thursday. It was also not clear how the deal would be financed.