General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy Iran !!
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/01/russia-i-didnt-say-anything-about-russia-internet-mocks-trumps-post-briefing-statement/
If you want to know why, Here goes
1) Trump owes Blackstone/ Bayrock group $560 million dollars (one of his largest debtors and the primary reason he won't reveal his tax returns)
2) Blackstone is owned wholly by Russian billionaires, who owe their position to Putin and have made billions from their work with the Russian government.
3) Other companies that have borrowed from Blackstone have claimed that owing money to them is like owing to the Russian mob and while you owe them, they own you for many favors.
4) The Russian economy is badly faltering under the weight of its over-dependence on raw materials which as you know have plummeted in the last 2 years leaving the Russian economy scrambling to pay its debts.
5) Russia has an impetus to influence our election to ensure the per barrel oil prices are above $65 ( they are currently hovering around $50)
6) Russia can't affordably get at 80% of its oil reserves and reduce its per barrel cost to compete with America at $45 or Saudi Arabia at $39. With Iranian sanctions being lifted Russia will find another inexpensive competitor increasing production and pushing Russia further down the list of suppliers.
As for Iranian sanctions, the 6 countries lifting them allowing Iran to collect on the billions it is owed for pumping oil but not being paid for it. These billions Iran can only get if the Iranian nuclear deal is signed. Trump spoke of ending the deals which would cause oil sales sanctions to be reimposed, which would make Russian oil more competitive.
7) Rex Tillerson (Trump's pick for Secretary of State) is the head of ExxonMobil, which is in possession of patented technology that could help Putin extract 45% more oil at a significant cost savings to Russia, helping Putin put money in the Russian coffers to help reconstitute its military and finally afford to mass produce the new and improved systems that it had invented before the Russian economy had slowed so much.
8) Putin cannot get access to these new cost saving technologies OR outside oil field development money, due to US sanctions on Russia, because of its involvement in Ukrainian civil war.
9) Look for Trump to end sanctions on Russia and to back out of the Iranian nuclear deal, to help Russia rebuild its economy, strengthen Putin and make Tillerson and Trump even richer, thus allowing Trump to satisfy his creditors at Blackstone.
10) With Trump's fabricated hatred of NATO and the U.N., the Russian military reconstituted, the threat to the Baltic states is real. Russia retaking their access to the Baltic Sea from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and threatening the shipping of millions of cubic feet of natural gas to lower Europe from Scandinavia, would allow Russia to make a good case for its oil and gas being piped into eastern Europe.
Sources: Time Magazine, NY Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian UK.
lame54
(35,044 posts)It was Obama's deal so Trump wants to kill it
grantcart
(53,061 posts)Forty percent of all world traded oil passes through the Straits of Hormuz.
Currently there is a substantial over production of oil and energy production. Not only is the US and Europe making big strides in production of renewal and natural gas production but there is a huge production in off shore production off of Brazil. Price of a barrel of oil collapsed from $ 80 per barrel to $ 28, below the cost of production in December of 2015.
If the Straits of Hormuz becomes militarized oil freighters can no longer be underwritten for insurance and the amount of oil that is traded will dramatically drop and prices will increase dramatically.
Russia's flagging natural gas and oil production will see immediate increase in value, pressure against the embargo will dissipate so it is a big plus for Russia. Saudi Arabia will see their revenues increase substantially but even more importantly the center of power in the ME will shift their way.
In the US the big carbon producers, especially Exxon will see a return to huge profits and the investment made in Trump will be returned.
If you want to know the basic reason that Iran is the target of hostility look at the map or you could just play a game of the classic board game Risk.
CanonRay
(14,013 posts)Right on target
raven mad
(4,940 posts)It'd go a long way with the friends I have on FB. And scare the poop out of some non-friends who still follow me.