Iran Threatens to Use Oil in Nuke Standoff

[cal04]

Iran threatened Saturday to use oil as a weapon if the U.N. Security Council imposes sanctions over its nuclear program. The nation's interior minister raised the possibility of using Iran's own oil and gas supplies and its position on a vital Persian Gulf oil route as weapons in the international standoff.

``If (they) politicize our nuclear case, we will use any means. We are rich in energy resources. We have control over the biggest and the most sensitive energy route of the world,'' Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi was quoted as saying by the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

Iran is the No. 2 producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and has partial control over the narrow Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf. The strait is an essential passage for crude oil from key producers such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq. Pourmohammadi's statements were the most specific yet - and the first explicitly targeting oil - in a series of threats levied by Iranian officials as the Security Council discusses what action to take over Iran's nuclear program. Washington says Iran wants to produce atomic weapons. Iran denies that claim, saying it intends only to generate electricity.

``No means (for reprisals) will be ignored and we will not disregard any means,'' said Pourmohammadi, who warned from the sideline of a Tehran city ceremony that Iran's critics could be underestimating his country's ability to strike back if sanctions are imposed. ``If they want to try other options, they have to be sure that our potential is not less than theirs,'' he said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5678833,00.html

[liberal N proud]

1. Looks like Iran has the world over a barrel

an Oil Barrel.

[corporate_mike]

27. E85 is the solution

[jmowreader]

42. It's part of the answer, but not the solution in and of itself

If I ran 85-percent ethanol in my car, it would dissolve the fuel delivery system.

The parts to upgrade my car to run E85 would cost me more than the car did. A lot of people are in that same predicament.

If you've got a flexible-fuel vehicle, great. Run E85, it is a very good fuel. Most of the cars on the road can't run it, though.

And unless we either legalize industrial hemp or figure out how to grow major stands of bamboo in this country, where are we going to get all the ethanol?

[Warren Stupidity]

43. Sounds like a good reason to go with plan A: legalize it. nt.

[shadowknows69]

2. And I believe them

We don't hold enough of the cards to make a conflict with Iran end any way but disaster on a global scale. Can you say "The dark ages: redux"? I knew that ya could.

[Roland99]

3. Iran has a right to enrich uranium. It would be in our best interest to...

follow at least something along the lines of what the Russians and Iranians worked out but then Condi interjected and made the Russians say, "Oh, deal? What deal? What is this deal you speak of?"

[phantom power]

4. Wow, it's a good thing Gore won over that corrupt oil man.

Oh, wait...

[mac56]

6. Please explain.

Gore?

[phantom power]

9. It was a joke...

As in, if Gore had been president, we might have been making progress for the last 5 years toward reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Instead of having two corrupt oil-barrons running the country.

[mac56]

10. gotcha...sorry...

I'm a little humor-impaired today.

[Gman]

5. Iran is playing right into the Neocons' hands

That's exactly what they want and gives them the perfect reason to bomb the hell out of and/or invade.

[David__77]

11. I disagree.

Making the war about oil would be a political disaster for the neo-con/imperialists. Iran has to use every tool at its disposal to make clear that a war of aggression against it would cost more than it could ever deliver in terms of geostrategy or natural resources. If they were smart, they would rig every refinery up with explosives for the contingency of invasion.

[Zorg]

20. Eh?

Sorry...I came in during the second reel. What exactly is a "neo-con"?

[EuroObserver]

23. Really, Zorg?

neo-con = neo-conservative (but actually not conservative: radically in favor of imposing a US empire on the world) =/= neo-fascist.

Ed: ah, and it's a tradition here to say: ¡Welcome to DU!

[Lochloosa]

38. Here. Go here and educate yourself

http://www.newamericancentury.org/

Be sure and read the letter sent to Clinton in '98 about invading Iraq.
Notice the signatures on the letter. They are the enemy!

And welcome to DU!

[Gman]

26. The war would never officially be about oil

Publicly it would be about nukes. The real reason would be the oil.

[okieinpain]

35. I would bet that they have already. also I would bet money they've

got sleepers placed all over the mideast just waiting for the sign.

to me their strategy is a good one, they are taking their fight to the people, attack use and you the people will pay. not attacking with chemical or biological shit, we're going to attack your pocket book. no way for the bushies to claim WMD's.

[Warren Stupidity]

14. I'm missing the part where Iranian control over their oil resources

gives us the right to bomb them. Perhaps you meant that if they attack shipping in the gulf we could use that as an excuse - and we could, but if they simply decide to withhold oil, as in an embargo, that is not a valid excuse for war.

On the other hand the Iranians certainly do not appear to be terribly afraid of our going to war against them. I wonder why that is?

[NYC]

16. "Valid" is a key word in what you wrote.

Do they need or even want a valid excuse for war? WMD was not a valid excuse, just an excuse.

...Perhaps you meant that if they attack shipping in the gulf we could use that as an excuse - and we could, but if they simply decide to withhold oil, as in an embargo, that is not a valid excuse for war.

[malaise]

22. Do you forever defer to bullies or

do you at some point stand up and fight back. Iran is a fugging sovereign country and has rights that are sacrosanct in international law. I don't know who told the US that Bushco owns the fugging world and can kill and main and bully as they like. It's time to send these fuggers to the Hague. Bushco is out of control - a fugging rogue state.

[NYC]

29. Iran may stand up.

So far, I haven't seen any real opposition from other countries. Some mild suggestions about diplomacy, but no real opposition.

Others didn't oppose the invasion of Iraq enough to stop it. Who knows if it will change this time.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NYC]

39. I meant other countries having a serious problem with the U.S.

and its warmongering.

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[0007]

33. That will be the worse mistake the Neocons could ever make.

[Minnesota Libra]

7. Anyone not seeing this coming hasn't been listening...nt

[george_hurley]

8. ***PETITION TO SIGN: NO WAR WITH IRAN ***

Hello,

For the past year, the growing tensions mounting between the US, Israel, and Iran are reaching a point where military action against Iran is w/in months of becoming reality. The repercussions are terrifying as such military action could involve countries such as China and Russia as they share massive energy/economic interests w/ Iran. The most likely scenario we would face would be the collapse of the US economy as the combination of a massive rise in oil prices and a run on the US dollar would surely be the weapon many countries would use to fight back against a preemptive US or Israeli strike.

For a collection of articles and resources on this subject you can visit this link: http://reseaudesign.com/research/iran/iran_summery.html

I'm starting up a petition which I will be sending out to as many members of Congress as possible. I'm asking for help to get this signed by as many people, possible in the next month. Send it to as many people you can.

http://www.petitiononline.com/n0war1rn/



Also, here is another petition you can sign from another group:
http://stopwaroniran.org/statement.shtml




Thanks for your time

[EuroObserver]

31. Good work, George. n/t

[David__77]

12. This is a good idea.

If Iran were smart, it would make every preparation against war now. Because it looks probable that the imperial powers will start aggression if they can muster the force. I don't know if they will invade, but they will certainly bomb, and if Iran does not respond, the Iranian people will turn against their government's lack of resolve.

[ConcernedCanuk]

18. Iran is ready for an attack from the USA - count on it

.
.
.

They've been watching the USA's "performance" in Iraq for 3 years -

Iran ain't scared, China and Russia would jump in a second if the USA unleashed even one nuke, or hit Iranian sites that emitted radioactivity into their countries as a result . . .

Just my Canuk thoughts . . .

[bemildred]

19. Yeah, Iran has a "credible deterrent".

And little reason, given what has occurred in Iraq, to think being nice and cooperative will pay off.
Hence the aggressive and mouthy attitude now in evidence.

[okieinpain]

36. and how in the hell do you tell them they can't have them when N.

Korea has them. Nobody is jumping up and down about those nuts having nukes and everybody knows they have them.

[Kool Kitty]

44. Exactly.

And how the hell do we have the right or authority or arrogance to tell any country that they can't have nukes when not only do we have them, we have already used them?

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[alfredo]

13. By closing off the Straits of Hormuz, they can cut off oil

shipments and supplies to our soldiers in Iraq.

[Warren Stupidity]

15. They were not able to do so in the 80's

and I doubt they could do so now. The Iranians might be able to moderately disrupt and inconvenience shipping in the gulf, but I doubt they can actually cut off the gulf. More likely they can make our occupation of Iraq even more of a nightmare than it already is, and they can goad us into stupid actions which will further alienate us from the rest of the muslim world and further enhance Iran's position as the dominant muslim power in the region, without our being able to do much more than blow some of their shit up.

On the other hand this sort of crap gets out of control very quickly. Who knows what nonsense we have planned, or what nonsense the Iranians have planned in response.

[alfredo]

24. Mining the straits or other such acts could be seen as an

act of war. I don't think Iran will go that far.
Iran is in a much more powerful position than they were before bush invaded Iraq. Iran will be able to get a much better deal now that we are bogged down and our army weak.

[okieinpain]

37. yeah, but you see how the prices flucatate, now imagine a full

blown war in that region with saudi arabia under intense pressure fighting off raids left and right. Iran would have to completely shut off the flow of oil, just make the brokers think about them cutting off the flow of oil.

[Warren Stupidity]

41. Oh I agree that they can cause economic havoc.

I'm just nitpicking the theory that they can close the straits of hormuz. They probably can't, and they probably will not give us an overt pretext for war by trying to do so. (Unless of course they are as nutzoid as our own leaders, in which case all bets are off.)

[jpak]

17. Iran has hundreds of ballistic missiles

That could be used to attack Saudi and other Gulf States oil facilities...

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/iran/missile/

They don't have to block the Straits to use the "oil weapon"...

[daleo]

21. There are probably hundreds of weapons pointed at the Straight of Hormuz

Missiles, artillery, underwater mines, coastal craft, etc. I wonder if the U.S. Navy could handle it all? Those sunburns are supposed to be something else.

[koopie57]

28. Is there any U.S. state taking a serious

look at alternative energies; wind especially? I think that our next congress people and president will have many messes to deal with, but I think it is time that we make alternative energies one of our top priorities. It will create jobs for one thing and help us environmentally and aid in national security (IMHO).

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[obxhead]

45. The ONLY threat from Iran......

WMD's are a complete bust and ZERO threat, period. The shrub admin would like you to believe otherwise though.

[Eugene]

46. Foreign Minister: no intention to use oil as a weapon - AP

Iran Opts Out of Russian Enrichment Plan


Sunday March 12, 2006 10:46 AM

AP Photo XHS101

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI

Associated Press Writer

<snip>

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, meanwhile, said Iran had no intention to use oil as a weapon
in its confrontation with the West over its nuclear program, contradicting comments made a day earlier
by the interior minister.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is insisting to provide Asia with the oil it needs as a reliable and
effective source of energy and will not use oil as a foreign policy instrument," he told a conference
on energy and security issues in Tehran.

On Saturday, Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi warned Iran could use oil as a weapon
if the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions against the country.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5680228,00.html

The downside of using oil as a weapon is that your other customers
question your reliability as a supplier.