En intressant analys av John Leake som alltid är sansad och förnuftig.

The Islamic Republic will likely become much stronger, but also more moderate, free, and open.

John Leake Apr 10, 2026

It seems to me that the history of Iran between 1941 and 1979 was dominated by the drama of the British, Americans, and Russians coveting the nation’s vast and strategically located oil reserves. As I mentioned in an earlier column, I was surprised to learn that Iranian Light is almost as valuable as West Texas Intermediate.

Iran’s main oil fields are concentrated in the southwestern province of Khuzestan and the Persian Gulf, with key onshore fields like Ahvaz, Gachsaran, and Marun dominating production. Roughly 90% of Iran’s crude exports pass through Kharg Island, the primary export terminal located in the northern Persian Gulf.

It’s hard to quantify the sheer vastness of this prize. IF the Iranians had been allowed to sell this oil on the open market, without the crippling sanctions imposed by the US, Britain, and the EU, it would have become an extremely wealthy country.

The oil fields were why Great Britain and the Soviet Union invaded Iran in 1941 with the handy excuse that they needed the oil to fuel the Red Army’s fight against Germany.

After the war, the oil fields were the prize that the Anglo-Persian oil company wished to keep for itself. The following history of company is very interesting.

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