Abdul-Karim Elaibi comments, reported on Iran’s official IRNA news agency Sunday, are an apparent reference to a potential showdown between Iran and the West after Tehran threatened to shutter the vital Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for sanctions affecting its oil exports.

Elaibi, who is OPEC’s current president, said while Iran’s “enemies” have imposed various sanctions on the country, the 12-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ main focus should be protecting its members’ interests and not being dragged into a political tussle over oil.