Many of the statements from Iran�s Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani during his Sunday visit with Syria�s President Assad were the expected PR line: a joint stand with the Assad regime against �terrorism� and �extremism�, denunciation of intervention by the US and its Western allies, and hailing of Syria�s frontline role in resistance against Israel.
Amid the rhetoric, however,�Larijani offered another sign�of Iran�s discomfort with its economic situation � and that of Syria � amid a halving of the global oil price since June: �This time we will not forget which countries made conspiracies.�

The fall in the price from almost $120/barrel to about $60/barrel has added to the pressure on an Iranian economy facing sanctions, rising unemployment, a shaky currency, and the prospect of revived inflation. There is uncertainty over how the Government will fund its proposed 2015/16 budget, even though it has already dropped the assumed oil price from $100/barrel to $72/barrel.

Iran�s economic difficulties have posed a question mark over its continuing assistance to the Assad regime. Last week, Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi asked Tehran to renew its aid when the current $3.6 billion line of credit is exhausted in 2015.

Larijani made no reference to that request after his meetings with President Assad, al-Halqi, and Syrian Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Jihad al-Laham. Instead, he linked the �oil conspiracy� to an Israel conspiracy: �Many countries that are now giving lip service and claim fight against the Zionist regime, were keeping silent during the 33-day war [the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War] and some of them even supported the Israelis.�

Earlier, Iranian officials � including President Rouhani � began a verbal assault against Saudi Arabia over the oil price. The Saudis have refused to countenance a cut in output by OPEC during and after the meeting of oil-producing nations in late November

By EA WorldView

 

The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.