Iraq Halts Oil Exports in Protest Against Israeli Aggression
The head of the press center in Iraq's Ministry of Information makes a copy of Saddam’s speech on suspending oil exports
BAGHDAD, April 8 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – Iraq has suspended all oil exports for one month in protest against the current Israeli aggression against the Palestinians, President Saddam Hussein said in a televised speech broadcast on the Qatari-based Al-Jazeera Monday, April 8.
Baghdad decided "to stop crude exports ... for a period of 30 days," from Monday afternoon, Saddam announced in a protest against Israel's military assault on the Palestinians.
Hussein added that the oil ban will be lifted if Israel withdraws from Palestinian areas.
Iraq stopped exporting oil at 10:00 GMT Monday morning, the Iraqi oil ministry said in a statement, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Exports were halted at the Mina Al-Bakr terminal on the Gulf and the Turkish Mediterranen port of Ceyhan, the two ports through which Iraq's oil flows.
Meanwhile, the price of oil jumped above 27 dollars a barrel in London Monday after Iraq announced it was suspending its oil exports for 30 days.
Benchmark Brent North Sea crude for May delivery spiked to 27.35 dollars a barrel from 25.99 dollars Friday evening.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Islamic oil-producing countries during Friday Muslim prayers to suspend their exports to Western countries and those that have relations with Israel "for a symbolic period of one month.
According to a statement made Sunday, April 7, by the ministry of African unity, Libya expressed its support for Iran's call for an oil embargo on countries supporting Israel.
"Libya supports the Iranian project of imposing an oil embargo on countries supporting the Zionist entity provided Arab and Islamic crude producing countries give their consent," the statement said.
"We support the Iranian call and hope it will result in the end of the Zionist carnage in Palestine," the statement added, according to AFP.
However, Khamenei’s call was rejected by the Organization of Petrol Exporting Countries (OPEC), of which the Islamic Republic of Iran is the second-largest member.
Libya is also an OPEC member and has an output of more than 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd).
Iran's trade minister said Sunday that the government has referred Khamenei's proposal to the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) for implementation by Muslim countries.
