(Institute for Contemporary Affairs/Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) -Economic Development - Mordechai Abir Iran has enjoyed a substantial windfall from oil prices, which has more than matched its additional budgetary expenses and has enabled it to establish a special "fund for future generations." The attitude of the clerical regime was largely to be blamed for the steady decline in Iran's oil output from 6 million b/d in the late 1970s to 3.5 million b/d in 2002. Iran's Ministry of Petroleum is concerned that international oil companies will prefer to invest in the development of new pro-Western Iraq's resources rather than in restrictive, clergy-dominated Iran. As far as the Pentagon is concerned, there is hardly any difference between the radical Iranian clergy who control Iran's policy and President Muhammad Khatami's "so-called reformist government."
2003-07-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive