krycor said:
??? really now whats that got to do with the article. hrm so they drill oil yes, ....
I did not want to post an entire history of Iran and their capabilities or albeit past capabilities. Some quotes for the website:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ir.html
Sometimes the links do not work so here are they:
“Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority nominally vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US relations have been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987-1988. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement.”
“Economy – overview:
Iran's economy is marked by a bloated, inefficient state sector, over reliance on the oil sector, and statist policies that create major distortions throughout. Most economic activity is controlled by the state. Private sector activity is typically small-scale - workshops, farming, and services. President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD has continued to follow the market reform plans of former President RAFSANJANI, with limited progress. Relatively high oil prices in recent years have enabled Iran to amass some $40 billion in foreign exchange reserves, but have not eased economic hardships such as high unemployment and inflation. The proportion of the economy devoted to the development of weapons of mass destruction remains a contentious issue with leading Western nations.
“
Oil - production: 3.979 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 1.425 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: 2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
They do have capabilities to be very self sufficient, just not applying their energy in fulfilling it. This also has an impact on the word demand figures, as someone has to buy the oil on the open market to produce the petrol to re-sell the refined product to Iran. Unlike with the steel industry, Oil is at a huge premium and forms a major part of the inflationary base.
except that industry leaders and gov prefer the way it is currently since they get more money faster.