[humint]

I would suggest we find a real benchmark in terms of Iran’s true intentions. Tehran is suggesting that they’re only interested in nuclear energy and not nuclear weapons while Iran is a major oil producer; close to 4 million barrels a day. If international sanctions and restrictions were lifted, they could play a much larger role than they currently do. Check out the graphic below, before the 1979 Revolution Iran was exporting nearly twice what it does today.

Amazingly Iran is still a major importer of gasoline which signals one thing and one thing alone: the Iranian economy as stated is not oriented in a way that could be considered in the interests of the Iranian people or the global economy and I do not think, for a number of reasons, that this is going to change. The true benchmark of Irans strategic intentions should be to answer the question, are they ramping up production of new petroleum refineries instead of looking for new sources of energy such as nuclear power? Completing the nuclear fuel cycle in Iran is an extremely inefficient way to get around a relatively simple problem. The fact is that they’re not producing more refineries; in fact they are marching headlong toward an internal nuclear fuel cycle which suggests to me that the end goal is not the betterment of the lower classes through a more stable energy environment throughout the country but rather, a nuclear program for offensive use.

[Doctor Stochastic]

That seems low. Demand is increasing; no new oil is being created.

[Bombardier]

Nuke 'em and take it. Watch the prices fall when OPEC realizes that it's being targeted for destruction in more ways than one.

[SolidSupplySide]

Historically, a barrel of oil has cost 0.09 ounces of gold. At current gold prices, that means oil should cost around $40 barrel. Accordingly, I expect the price of oil to decline over the next few years. This will probably be helped by a major new oil find since explorers have an incentive (oil = 0.14 ounces of gold) that they haven't seen in 25 years, the last time there was a major find.

[G.Mason]

Running the risk of sounding flippant, I wonder if these same Iranians "see" the incoming holocaust that is in their future? And I'm not refering to the Eurowienies.

[RexBeach]

I'd like to see Iran OVER a barrel.

[50sDad]

Excellent. We should begin drilling ANWR and off California tomorrow, since the USSC "eminent domain" ruling proves we can seize land for the public good. After that, we temporarily defund NASA, public television, and the National Endowment for the Arts, and put the money into a Manhattan Project-style push for fusion power. Once we have that, we publish the secret on the Net so everyone can do it, and then, the Moose-limb maniacs are sitting on a worthless pile of oily sand. Once science makes the oil irrelevant, we can let them go back to killing each other, and nuke them if they touch us or Israel. Who's with me?

[Finalapproach29er]

George W. Carter.

Sending our VP with condolences from America to our "friends".


I'm getting tired of this.

[toddlintown]

And I see a smoldering hole where Tehran used to be.

[quark]

I see Iran as a glass parking lot.

[RightWhale]

When oil is the topic, we find that even our enemies are hard-nosed and realistic. While there is a lot of speculation in the area of scams by fly-by-night operators in the oil investment market such as project oil reserves yet to be discovered, oil pros try their best to project accurately whether Texan, Iranian, or Russian.

[M. Espinola]

Crude oil resulting from Katrina massive destruction effecting large amounts of oil facilities (& other markets factors) has soared above $70 a barrel.

We can only hope Iran's despotic Islamic rulers will not be around longer then this coming winter to enjoy their massive oil profits.