A ship passes by oil facilities on the Kharg Island in the Gulf, southern Iran, on Feb. 23, 2016. Kharg Island provides a sea port for the export of oil and extends Iranian territorial sea claims into the Gulf oil fields. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

TEHRAN, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Ministry of Petroleum confirmed on Sunday that South Korea has halted oil imports from the Islamic republic.

"It it for three successive months that South Korea has not imported oil from Iran," public relations of the ministry announced.

"South Korea was the first country to halt Iran's oil imports following the U.S. sanction threats against the country," Kasra Nouri, the public relation manager of the ministry, was quoted as saying by SHANA news agency.

Prior to the U.S. sanctions threat, Seoul imported 180,000 barrels per day of Iran's crude oil, according to the report.

Despite global outcry, the White House re-imposed sanctions on Iran last month which had been lifted under the Iran nuclear deal.

The first batch of sanctions targeted Tehran's purchase of U.S. banknotes, trade in gold and other precious metals, as well as the use of graphite, aluminum, steel, coal, and software used in industrial processes.

Another round of sanctions, to be reinstalled on Nov. 5, will be on Iran's port, energy, shipping and shipbuilding sectors, petroleum-related transactions, and business deals by foreign financial institutions with the Central Bank of Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out the United States from the 2015 international Iranian nuclear deal in May.