21 April 2000 For years, Iran turned a blind eye as Iraq smuggled thousands of barrels of oil a day across the Iranian part of the Shatt al-Arab waterway into the Gulf. No longer. A combination of factors, including Tehran’s very understandable desire to protect its own interests, has prompted a well-publicized clampdown on the illegal trade, leading Tehran to seize 10 vessels in one 24-hour period two weeks ago….
Tag: Saddam Hussein
Euro Fan
20 October 2000 Baghdad’s politically motivated bid to replace the US dollar with the beleaguered euro as its currency for international transactions – including oil sales – could become reality. There is a precedent: Libya has been receiving oil payments in currencies other than the dollar for some time, and in euros occasionally, since the start of this year. Provided the Iraqi oil pricing formula is calculated in dollars –…