1967 Oil Embargo - Oil Embargo

Oil Embargo

The Baghdad Resolution is important because Egypt broadcast claims of US aircraft support on June 6. Iraq was the first country to limit their oil shipments, embargoing the United States and the United Kingdom on June 6. Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Bahrain eventually embargoed the United States and the United Kingdom. Syria stopped all oil exports, rather than just embargoing specific countries in order to avoid declaring specific nations as aggressors.

The United States advocated emergency measures in OECD meetings and supported the establishment of an International Industry Advisory Board. The Advisory Board was critical in efficiently apportioning limited tanker resources and managing the distribution of the limited oil resources. This was an effective measure to negate the oil embargo as there was no consensus on what countries to embargo, and more importantly, oil shipped to a European country could then be shipped to any of the embargoed countries. Some Arab countries encouraged the oil companies to circumvent the embargo, as the Amir of Kuwait even proposed to the US ambassador that companies simply tamper with shipping manifests to allow shipment of oil to prohibited countries.

Egypt sought to bend not only international political policy but also the policies of more moderate governments. and sought to export the socialist revolution to neighboring moderate (i.e. conservative) countries. The embargo resulted in public pressure on Middle Eastern leaders to support Arab solidarity. Nasser effectively limited moderate countries' political options lest they risk a revolution.