Recent from Iran - curses, losses and false hopes
Posted on May 12, 2008
Filed Under Economy, Media, Middle East, Multiculturalism, News, Politics
While the new Hitler, or his smaller and modified Shiite version, arises in Iran, Europe, so it appears, haven’t learnt anything from its experience pre-WW2. It continues issuing condemnations
Brussels: The EU presidency on Friday condemned “in the strongest possible terms” anti-Israeli remarks made by Iran’s hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who called the state of Israel “a stinking corpse”.
Ahmadinejad’s comments, delivered on Thursday, “are unacceptable, damaging and uncivilized,” the European Union’s Slovenian presidency said in a statement.
And while EU is still harbored at “condemnation” bay, two significant developments take place vs Iran: Russia joins the UN sanctions against Iran
The UN Security Council imposed a third round of sanctions on Iran on March 3 for refusing to suspend sensitive nuclear activities.
The Russian decree, signed by Vladimir Putin before he left office, calls for restrictions on travel and financial transactions with certain Iranian individuals and companies.
…and Shell bails out of a major deal with Iran following the pressure of US lawmakers
A spokeswoman said on Saturday that the world’s second-largest non government-controlled oil company by market capitalisation was pulling out of Phase 13 of the giant South Pars gas field but may yet join later stages of the field’s development.
Shell, Spain’s Repsol and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2002 to develop Phase 13 in a project to be known as Persian LNG.
The condemnations and the sanctions are viewed by Iran as useless piece of paper, but it cannot overlook the significance of the latest move by Shell. It also seems that Iran realized that Shell’s move is only the first in the string of many, and this is why this radical Shiite state decided to try and go solo with oil exploration
At this huge oil field in southwest Iran, one building stands out among the pumps and maze of pipelines: On its roof in giant letters, big enough for satellites or pilots to see, are the words: “We can do it.”
The slogan, made famous by Iran’s revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, highlights the country’s new drive to tap its oil riches on its own - without Western investment or technological know-how - as Iran faces a threat of tighter UN sanctions and American financial pressure over its nuclear ambitions.
The Azadegan field in southwestern Iran showcases the bid: the first major field to be developed solely by Iranian companies. Pumping began in February in the vast oil basin - off limits to the public, but The Associated Press received permission to tour the site recently with a government escort.
The self-sufficiency drive has become a vital test of how well Iran can ride out more Western sanctions - and possibly rake in billions of dollars more in oil revenues as prices hit record highs. It also is shaping up as a political gamble for hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the main proponent of using local firms.
Some lawmakers and outside experts contend that Iranian companies will take longer and get less oil than foreign investors with better technology and project management.
By the time Iran manages to develop this source, two things are likely to happen:
Iran will be under full set of harsh sanctions, which will significantly limit its oil trade capacities;
US and its allies are likely to exercise a prevention strike against Iran, damaging its key energy sources and installations, crippling Iranian economy even further;
How these events will develop - no one can tell, since Iran is probably the most unpredictable country in the world today. But when it comes to “stinking corpse”, as ahmadinejad called Israel, it is certain that Iran is much closer to this biological state, than Israel was, is and will ever be.
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