Minister-less Iran oil industry ails

Iran’s oil industry is not just in the doldrums, it is sinking. The world’s fourth biggest crude producer has not had an oil minister since August, meaning output loss continues unabated, new production deals have no hope of getting signed and Tehran’s voice in OPEC is barely a whisper.

..Last week, moments after parliament rejected Ahmadinejad’s third candidate, Mohsen Tasalloti, lawmaker Kazem Jalali neatly summed up the malaise. “The current situation weakens our stance in OPEC and will diminish our chances of co-operation with foreign companies because it indicates instability,” he said.

Daily Times