What is behind the explosions of two oil refineries in Saudi Arabia and Iraq? The answers are economics and geopolitical reach by the Tehran regime. Reportedly Iran’s elite, Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s, Al Qods Brigade, activated paid al Qaeda cells to wreak havoc and sabotage Middle Eastern oil production. The motive is clear. Last year Iran suffered in oil revenue from US sanctions and European cooperation. The accumulative results were that Iran’s oil revenue dipped from $120 billion to $80 billion over the course of the year. If this cable can be trusted, this would be considered a substantial development in regional security.
Since protests have erupted in the Middle East causing oil production to slow from the chaos and turmoil, oil prices have climbed and Iran has seen their share in the oil market grow more lucrative after years of gradual decline. And they aim to capitalize on the momentum swing – apparently by any means necessary. (Read the details from this small excerpt).
Early Saturday, Tehran gave the oil market another nudge by knocking Iraq’s biggest refinery out of action just hours after clashes with anti- government rallies left nine dead in three North Iraqi towns.
The gunmen shot four refinery guards and engineers and blew up the Al Shamal unit, its main kerosene and benzene producer, leaving sticky bombs in other operational units to explode after they fled. It took hours to put the fire out. The entire installation is now closed. “We are not talking about days,” said a refinery official, “The damage is too severe.”
The Baiji refinery working at 70 percent capacity produced 150,000 barrels per day. Oil experts estimate that Iraqi towns face a 35 percent decline in petrol supplies for several months, with effect on world prices and domestic stability in the country (Debka File, 2011).
The regime in Tehran is showing they can, and possess the will to, threaten international security and Middle East stability. Oil revenue is Iran’s sole livelihood to which they use to finance a military buildup, actualize their nuclear ambitions, provide regime security, export its Shia Islamic revolution in the region and support terrorism. Iran has somewhere in the neighborhood between 135 to 140 billion barrels of oil, or about 10 percent of the world’s total proven reserves. Presently it is third in oil reserves behind Saudi Arabia and Canada. However, their infrastructure is dilapidated, the country lacks from hard currency and foreign investment, its government is corrupt and their economy is largely mismanaged. To circumvent these facts, Tehran is willing to infiltrate across borders directly and indirectly, kill civilians, and blow up sovereign nations’ oil facilities. These brazen acts of war show just how serious of a threat they are to international security and American interests — nuclear weapons or not.
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