The United States has extended an exception to its sanctions list affecting a few European countries over their purchases of crude oil from Iran by 180 days, State Secretary Hillary Clinton said in a statement.

“I am pleased to announce that Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom have again qualified for an exception to sanctions outlined in Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, as amended [NDAA], based on reductions in the volume of their crude oil purchases from Iran,” Clinton said on Friday.

In June, China, Singapore, India, Malaysia, South Korea, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Taiwan were removed from the sanctions list for 180 days as well.

The West led by the United States suspects Iran of pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program, but the Islamic Republic says it needs nuclear power solely for electricity generation.