Iran’s pragmatic energy policy
By Mohsen Talai’i

The price of crude oil will most probably remain high, although market analysts predict that it will rise even more in the future.

The recent developments in the oil market and the increase in prices have four characteristics that differentiate the current situation from the oil crisis of the 1970s:

(1) Many people were able to foresee the price rise and it did not shock anyone.

(2) In the previous crises, the oil-producing countries were blamed as the major cause of the rise, but this time they were not criticized very much.

(3) The escalation of the oil price is predicted to continue.

(4) The price rise has not been a result of the conventional mechanisms of the market such as supply and demand, but rather, the approach adopted by certain countries, including the Unites States, is influencing it.

Continuous economic growth is a characteristic of modern times and the world is in consensus on the necessity of adopting measures which facilitate this process.

Thus, most countries have prioritized plans to turn to nuclear energy as a replacement for fossil fuels, and many developing countries are currently considering a similar move to ensure that their future energy needs will be met.

Along these lines, Iran’s peaceful nuclear policy over the years and its insistence on making use of nuclear power have had a global impact.

Iran has thus made the world aware that the energy crisis will become serious in the future and that it is necessary to devise proper measures to deal with it.

Iran has also made the world differentiate between the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the production of nuclear weapons.

The Islamic Republic has cooperated amicably with the International Atomic Energy Agency in order to clear up certain ambiguities about its nuclear program and has reached some significant agreements with the IAEA.

Iran has allowed the nuclear watchdog’s experts to conduct snap inspections of the country’s nuclear sites with no restrictions and has provided them all the necessary documents.

In addition, the IAEA has installed some cameras in Iran’s nuclear facilities so that all the country’s nuclear activities are transparent and under supervision.

IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei recently submitted a report on Iran’s cooperation to the Board of Governors that highlighted the country’s full cooperation with the agency.

In the report, ElBaradei declared that many of the ambiguities have been cleared up and that Iran’s nuclear activities have not deviated.

Therefore, the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities are completely legitimate and acceptable to everyone.

Moreover, the report sheds light on the biased actions of the United States, which is seeking pretexts to undermine Iran’s nuclear activities.

The U.S. has recently created some restrictions for the use of the dollar in trade with Iran, so the Islamic Republic now uses the yen in its business dealings with Japan.

This shows that Tehran has accepted all its responsibilities in its trade with Tokyo, and thus created a reliable foundation for the expansion of relations between the two countries.

The Islamic Republic of Iran exports oil to various countries, including Japan, and understands Tokyo’s concerns about the views of the international community.

Since the expansion of oil production capacity is currently a very difficult prospect in areas outside the Persian Gulf, Iran believes it is necessary to diversify its sources of energy.

Therefore, it is essential and logical to seek new sources of clean energy before the current energy resources run out.

Iran’s energy policy is also environmentally friendly, since it can help efforts to prevent global warming and effectively implement the Kyoto Protocol, which is an issue which needs more attention

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