NCRI Staff
NCRI – In order to crush the Iranian Regime and support the people of Iran, we need to target their most valued export- oil- and cut international prices beyond what they can afford.
There are massive anti-regime protests taking part in Iran right now. It started over a sharp increase in food prices in Mashad and grew into a national protest about everything that is wrong with the Regime- and that’s a lot.
In order to support the Iranian people, we must target the Regime’s economy. While the economy is already doing very little to support the Iranian people, it is still being used to line the pockets of the mullahs, fund their brutal suppressive forces, and arm international terrorists.
By putting pressure on these oil revenues, the international community and the US in particular can support the protesters by weakening the Regime’s attacks against them, whilst avoiding a military conflict.
David B. Rivkin Jr., who served in the Departments of Justice and Energy and the White House Counsel’s Office during the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations, and Nawaf E. Obaid, a visiting fellow for intelligence & defence projects at Harvard’s Belfer Center and a former advisor to the Saudi government, wrote an op-ed for USA Today explaining the idea.
They said: “Since 80% of Iran’s budget comes from petroleum exports, the quickest and surest way to bring about regime change in Tehran is a broad campaign to reduce current global oil prices. In order for Tehran to balance its budget, oil prices need to be around $130 per barrel, over twice what they are today [as the Regime is at] financial breaking point… For the sake of the Iranian people and global stability, this cannot be allowed to happen. Washington should lead the effort. Tehran is a major American foe and a successful anti-mullahcracy effort would both improve Middle East security and enhance US global credibility.”
But how can this be achieved?
Rivkin and Obaid advise that there are ways to lower the global oil prices.
1) Suspend the ad hoc understanding between Saudi Arabia and Russia (the world’s two largest oil producers) regarding curtailing oil output. This would allow Saudi Arabia to increase exports and cut prices. Rivkin and Obaid wrote that Saudi Arabia would support this lower price, because they are currently footing the bill to stabilise the Middle East after Iran’s devastating meddling in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and more.
2) The US should continue its long-term efforts to increase both the US oil output and US capacity to export oil and petroleum by building more pipelines and terminal facilities.
3) The US should put pressure on European and Asian banks to stop investing in Iran, using sanctions if needed.
Rivkin and Obaid wrote: “Tehran simply cannot survive a sustained $50 per barrel price. All those wishing to bring an end to the decades of widespread terror caused by this so-called Islamic Republic, and support the Iranian people in their own demands for change, should commit to the above-mentioned measures. Only the oil weapon can end this repressive regime.”
