Iranian crude production rose to levels last seen before sanctions were imposed more than four years ago, helping to drive OPEC output to the highest in almost eight years, according to the International Energy Agency. Iran pumped 3.56 million barrels a day last month, a rate last reached in November 2011 before trade restrictions were imposed over the country’s nuclear program, the IEA said Thursday. Exports soared more than 40 percent to 2 million barrels a day — near pre-sanctions levels — as the nation worked to regain lost market share. While Iraq and the United Arab Emirates also boosted output, Iran’s addition of 300,000 barrels a day was the key contributor to OPEC’s production gain to 32.76 million barrels a day, the highest since August 2008. Iran’s refusal to consider capping volumes before reaching pre-sanctions levels led arch rival Saudi Arabia to throw out a proposed oil-freeze deal […]