As colorful as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s antics may have been in the past, the world cannot simply wish him away. Iran has a seat at the OPEC table, OPEC has a grip on global oil and gas supply, and you know the rest of the story.
So when we wake up this week to find that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad picked a Revolutionary Guards commander as Oil Minister, that has to make a few people cringe. There is a lot of inconspicuous turmoil in Tehran and high stakes tug of war for political power, so it is fair to assume any appointment is more for political expediency than it is for business reasons.
Rostam Qasemi — head of Khatam al-Anbia, the Revolutionary Guards’ construction and business division — is not the most popular man in the global energy circles, but he is certain to rattle a few feathers before Ahmadinejad’s regime is over, in the least.
What’s the big deal? The big deal here is that with Iran holding the OPEC presidency this year, Qasemi also becomes president of OPEC.
In effect, his ideology and perception of market factors [sarcasm insinuated here] will define or impact world crude oil prices and everything else that is tied to it. That is a legitimate cause for concern, especially for many people who anticipate Iran using oil as a bargaining chip to evade some sanctions and global pressure.
In effect, his ideology and perception of market factors [sarcasm insinuated here] will define or impact world crude oil prices and everything else that is tied to it. That is a legitimate cause for concern, especially for many people who anticipate Iran using oil as a bargaining chip to evade some sanctions and global pressure.
Make no mistake; Rostam Qasemi is not in this for popularity contest. He is personally under US sanctions, and who better to lead a country‘s most sensitive and ultra-critical sector currently bombarded by all levels of US and international sanctions, than a man who know what it is to be blacklisted? Is this Ahmadinejad’s move to tell the world he has no interest to engage in diplomatic talks on anything from nuclear facilities to lingering hostility toward Israel?
Maybe not, - but you will be hard-pressed to find one person who do not see it that way.
The other interesting element I learned from an Iranian insider today is the notion that Ahmadinejad pulled this Qasemi nomination to mend his dealings with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. At this stage of the game, its more speculation than factual. Either way, no one saw this coming, and most people are more surprised than usual. On second thought, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad never ceases to surprise the world. Why should this be any different
