The head of the state-funded Japan Bank for International Cooperation told the government recently that it can finance countries that are denied state loans for political reasons, naming Iran and China as examples, Kyodo News learned Thursday.

JBIC Gov. Kyosuke Shinozawa made the comments on Jan. 12, just days after Iran's decision to restart research on nuclear fuel manufacturing prompted European nations and the United States to consider referring it to the U.N. Security Council, sources said.

However, the remarks were not recorded in the official minutes of the meeting with the government, apparently out of the concern they could suggest JBIC would act on its own regardless of foreign policy developments, such as economic sanctions, according to the sources.