President: Iran Should Stop Exports Of Its Crude Oi

Tehran, July 31, IRNA – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that the country's crude oil exports should be halted since the issue of oil has been presently manipulated by big powers as a means to put pressure on its producers. President Ahmadinejad made the remarks in an address made during the inaugural ceremony for two big oil projects in Tehran's Shahid Tondgoyan oil refinery. Arguing that nowadays, the price of oil was determined "based on political situation instead of economic conditions," the President said,"If not so, the real price of oil should have been very much higher in the market than what it is presently." He added that the Shahid Tondgoyan oil refinery was the first refinery being fully completed by Iranian experts and an "indication of the complete nationalization of Iran's oil industry." According to President Ahmadinejad, enemies of Iran could not tolerate the country has found access to the knowledge of producing and meeting all its demands./end