U.S. businessmen lining up to do business with Iran

Capitalism is a wonderful thing – except when it isn't.  Several U.S. businessmen – oil execs, for instance – are eagerly waiting for the day when "normalizing" relations with Iran leads to exploiting the business opportunities offered by the mullahs.

The Hill:

Leaders from the United States’ oil industry are traveling to Iran this week to discuss potential investment opportunities, Iran’s government said.

The delegation of oil company leaders and investors are visiting Iran in anticipation of sanctions being loosened against Tehran, Iran’s state-owned Mehr News Agency reported Monday.

“It is forecast that by the visit of [the] American delegation this week and in the case of lifting sanctions on Iran's oil industry, we will witness involvement of major international American oil and gas companies in Iran in the future," deputy Oil Minister Abbas Sheri-Moghaddam told Mehr.

Mehr did not identify the executives who will be on the trip or the companies they will represent.

Current sanctions prevent any direct trading between the U.S. and Iranian oil industries.Leaders from the U.S. and five other countries reached a tentative deal a month ago with Iran to restrict nuclear work in Iran, which could lead to some sanctions being lifted on Iran.

Negotiators are aiming to reach a final deal on June 30. Congress is considering legislation that could allow lawmakers to review and vote to disapprove the deal. 

Sheri-Moghaddam told Mehr that some European-American oil companies have expressed a desire to trade with Iran, and officials are in discussions with companies from Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.

It was Lenin who quipped, "The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them."  Thankfully, that never happened.  Indeed, it was the commies who bought the blue jeans with which the West strangled them. 

But in the case of Iran, any cash they get from Western businessmen is likely to end up in the pockets of terrorists wishing to destroy those same businessmen.  Iran is the largest supporter of terrorism in the world – by a wide margin.  Perhaps the execs should keep that in mind when negotiating for some of that market share the Iranians will be offering.

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