Last month I wrote a post about a news article reporting that Saudi Arabia may be forcing down oil prices in an effort hurt Iran and its nuclear program. I wrote that I hoped it was true because Russia and North Korea will only help Iran with its nuclear program as long as Iran continues to pay the bills. Well, it seems Iran can't pay the bills, so Russia isn't so enthusiastic about helping Iran.
Russian officials have warned work on an Iranian nuclear plant may be delayed because Iran is late with payments.[...]
Under the Bushehr deal, Russia would have started fuel shipments by March, launched the plant in September and begun to generate electricity by November.
Russia's Federal Nuclear Power Agency spokesman Sergey Novikov said the "launch schedule definitely could be affected" by the delay in payments.
One unnamed Russian official told Associated Press Iran was blaming "technical reasons" for the delay. Iran has not commented officially.
And Bill Arkin calls our troops mercenaries?
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Comments (6)
There's a great series of a... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Brian | February 20, 2007 9:39 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
There's a great series of articles today in the wall street journal, about Iran's declining oil exports, increasing energy usage, and how it all may spell big trouble in the next 10 years.
1. Posted by Brian | February 20, 2007 9:39 AM |
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Posted on February 20, 2007 09:39
2. Posted by cirby | February 20, 2007 9:44 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Iran is just a couple of refinery fires away from a revolution.
2. Posted by cirby | February 20, 2007 9:44 AM |
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Posted on February 20, 2007 09:44
3. Posted by Gianni | February 20, 2007 10:09 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
We should blow up a Iranian refinery, well, or pipeline everytime we find evidence of anything Iranian being used against us in Iraq.
3. Posted by Gianni | February 20, 2007 10:09 AM |
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Posted on February 20, 2007 10:09
4. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | February 20, 2007 2:19 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I was under the impression that Iran had few, if any refineries of their own. The produce and export oil, but import gasoline and diesel.
4. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | February 20, 2007 2:19 PM |
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Posted on February 20, 2007 14:19
5. Posted by _Mike_ | February 21, 2007 8:41 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
One could argue that the drastic rise and subsequent rapid fall in oil prices produced an excellent scenario to weaken the Iranian government.
The rise allowed the Iranian government to become emboldened and extend itself financially. The rapid fall could now serve to undermine their ability to service that new debt; thus, Iran now finds itself overextended.
5. Posted by _Mike_ | February 21, 2007 8:41 AM |
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Posted on February 21, 2007 08:41
6. Posted by _Mike_ | February 21, 2007 8:43 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I should add to the above..
All of which would not have been possible without the initial jump in oil prices.
6. Posted by _Mike_ | February 21, 2007 8:43 AM |
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Posted on February 21, 2007 08:43