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(NewsCore) - State-run South Pars Oil and Gas denied Monday that it awarded the rights to develop phases 13 and 14 of the giant South Pars gas field to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.

"South Pars Oil and Gas denies the report," the Mehr news agency quoted a statement from the company as saying.

"The managing director of the company did not give such an interview in this regard," Mehr quoted from the statement, referring to a media report Friday that quoted managing director Ali Vakili saying Guards unit Khatam al Anbiya would form a consortium to develop these phases.

Iran recently warned global firms Royal Dutch Shell and Repsol YPF to make a decision about moving forward on the two phases.

But global energy majors were coming under increased pressure against doing business with Iran as Washington stepped up efforts to impose new sanctions on the Islamic republic for pursuing its nuclear program.

Iranian officials contended that global energy majors would be replaced by local firms.

An ISNA news report Monday quoted deputy oil minister Mohsen Khojastehmehr as saying that negotiations with Iranian companies were currently on for developing the two phases.