“BAGHDAD, March 20 (Reuters) – Iraq has declared force majeure on all oilfields developed by foreign oil companies, as military operations in the region have disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, preventing most of the country’s crude exports from moving, oil ministry sources said.”
Edit:
“What is force majeure?
Force majeure, from the French meaning “superior force”, is a clause in contracts that allows a party to be excused from its obligations when an event beyond its control prevents performance.
This legal move can allow a party to suspend its obligations temporarily, be released from them partially or fully, or adjust them to reflect the new circumstances.”
That probably suggests the Iraqi government are infrastructurally re-appropriating oil fields (or in plain terms, ~~seizing control of foreign-run oilfield productions~~ exempting from contractual obligations) for ~~national security~~ various reasons
Edit 3:
Force majeure = a legal term meaning Iraq wants to be exempted from legal contractual obligations due to abnormal contexts like the current conflict for whatever reasons
ELI5: declaring, “I can’t deliver my end of the deal because of war, etc… so don’t sue me”
anonymousasu on
I was promised a Golden Era, a country so “hot” with unlimited profit. Are you telling me the man selling NFT trading cards as him dressed as a cowboy lied? At least I get compliments on my gold Trump sneakers so not a total loss.
francois_du_nord on
Add a bunch of wildcatters to the list of those looking for a pound of flesh. Good thing King Pedo is overweight, he’s got plenty to give.
Ziabatsu on
So now Iran has helped another nation nationalize their oil fields? This is a domino theory I can get behind
Searchlights on
> **Force majeure** is a contractual clause freeing parties from liability due to extraordinary, unavoidable events—such as natural disasters (“acts of God”), war, or pandemics—that prevent contract performance. Originating from French civil law (meaning “superior force”), it is invoked by proving the event was unforeseeable, external, and insurmountable.
LosinCash on
Yeah, so they are taking fields being worked by other nations, and then through the seizure further restricting oil output and flow to the rest of the world. Bold move, and one that will work.
To be perfectly clear, I don’t support Iraq, but they have played their hand quite well.
ETA: fat fingered the country.
16ozbuddz on
Israel and USA creating economic chaos around the globe.
Clean-Director-7340 on
Fuckin a we are winning too much sir, please for the love of god, stop the winning.
jokeren on
What about the oilfields in the north which export through the iraq-turkey pipeline?
Just yesterday North Oil company said they will export 250 000 barrels per day initally with the new agreement between Iraq and Turkey. Other companies have shared similar sentiments.
DeathFlameStroke on
Are we unironically watching “the third way” dream of nationalized oil revive under *checks notes* the US military industrial complex and Israel????
d3gaia on
Does this mean that the oilfields in Iraq that are essentially owned and operated by the US & UK are effectively being nationalized?
BatmanHatesSuperman on
No refunds. Force majeure. Read the back of your ticket !
doctorlongghost on
So torn between wanting to see the whole economy implode, guaranteeing a MAGA defeat in November, or seeing things somehow inexplicably work out, yet again.
Tripple_T on
Iraq pulling the “get out of being sued” card
multivitaminegummy on
1973 flashbacks
U-235 on
Reuters having a paywall is actually insane to me. I know that’s the business model for media companies these days, but they aren’t just a news site, they’re a wire service.
Ditka85 on
I’m not versed in oil production, but can you just stop pumping/refining? I’d think there’s a lot more to stopping and resuming production than just flipping a switch.
No-Understanding2406 on
the part people are glossing over is what this does to contracts downstream. Iraq ships roughly 3.5 million bpd through Hormuz. the Turkey pipeline up north can handle maybe 350-400k on a good day. force majeure does not make the oil appear somewhere else, it just legally shields Iraq from breach-of-contract claims.
the real domino is refineries that built supply chains around Iraqi crude now scrambling for alternatives. and “alternatives” in a Hormuz-closed world means what exactly? Saudi east-west pipeline? UAE Fujairah terminal? both already priced in and under serious pressure.
this is going to be interesting in the most stressful possible sense of that word.
norkb on
Can I claim “force majeure” on my taxes since the US government has abandoned the social contract with the American people?
handyandy314 on
We are buggered, the average Joe who has a mortgage and need utilities, seeing them double and quadruple in the coming days
Dncin_Bonobo on
I hope all this bullshit forces the world to turn to clean energy to stop all this crap from happening in the future. It’s time for the world to give up. It’s addiction to fossil fuels.
MarvinM00n on
I’m sorry could someone eli5 I don’t follow these things.
That_anonymous_guy18 on
Are yall winning yet ? More wins to come!!!!
WellWellWellthennow on
I think they mean they’re claiming their oil fields that belong to foreign developers.
Just a guess but they probably see the US at a weakness right now being preoccupied with Iran so unlikely willing to spread the war also to Iraq at the same time. So it’s like we’re claiming your companies’ oil fields and what are you gonna do about it?
Psychological_Fly627 on
Waiting for the Legal Eagle episode to drop.
WebHead1287 on
It’s truly amazing how 77 million Americans fucked the entire world, of billions, so profoundly
Lissa2j on
So don’t sue us for not delivering oil to america. Makes sense to me
Gary-Phisher on
Me, riding my bike to work every day since 2009…”I told you so”
Kaieron on
What would happen if one of the world’s largest oil suppliers were attacked? Right, they’d drag everyone else through the mud… And the US doesn’t give a damn because they supposedly have enough. The US is currently causing the entire world to be economically ruined, and what does the egotistical US president do? He blames everyone else because no one wants to help him.
devildocjames on
Is it anything like force maneur?
FTXACCOUNTANT on
Well, this war is going swimmingly
newaccountnumber140 on
Thanks, Israel
RandomiseUsr0 on
We need to recognise the disgusting racist abomination of Zionism, listen to South Africa, this will be downvoted, by whom, ask that question
BayareaItalGuy on
Don’t worry about it. The American taxpayer will cover all losses and damages. Registered Republicans and MAGA supporters will be more than happy to give an extra 15-20% in taxes to cover losses.
Arroz-Con-Culo on
Yo Trump better calm the fuck down.
He is calling NATO Cowards.
OGtripleOG87_ on
Last time i checked Iraq doesn’t make decisions like that…
GreekGenius100 on
Trump has single handily destroyed the oil transport in the world Evil man that will make Americans pay for his sins
OrionsChainsaw on
If only there were other sources of energy that nations could have seriously invested in to reduce demand for oil.
38 Comments
Excerpt
“BAGHDAD, March 20 (Reuters) – Iraq has declared force majeure on all oilfields developed by foreign oil companies, as military operations in the region have disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, preventing most of the country’s crude exports from moving, oil ministry sources said.”
Edit:
“What is force majeure?
Force majeure, from the French meaning “superior force”, is a clause in contracts that allows a party to be excused from its obligations when an event beyond its control prevents performance.
This legal move can allow a party to suspend its obligations temporarily, be released from them partially or fully, or adjust them to reflect the new circumstances.”
As per this [Al Jazeera article ](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/13/force-majeure-what-is-it-and-why-have-some-gulf-countries-invoked-it#:~:text=Force%20majeure%2C%20from%20the%20French,beyond%20its%20control%20prevents%20performance.)
Edit 2:
That probably suggests the Iraqi government are infrastructurally re-appropriating oil fields (or in plain terms, ~~seizing control of foreign-run oilfield productions~~ exempting from contractual obligations) for ~~national security~~ various reasons
Edit 3:
Force majeure = a legal term meaning Iraq wants to be exempted from legal contractual obligations due to abnormal contexts like the current conflict for whatever reasons
ELI5: declaring, “I can’t deliver my end of the deal because of war, etc… so don’t sue me”
I was promised a Golden Era, a country so “hot” with unlimited profit. Are you telling me the man selling NFT trading cards as him dressed as a cowboy lied? At least I get compliments on my gold Trump sneakers so not a total loss.
Add a bunch of wildcatters to the list of those looking for a pound of flesh. Good thing King Pedo is overweight, he’s got plenty to give.
So now Iran has helped another nation nationalize their oil fields? This is a domino theory I can get behind
> **Force majeure** is a contractual clause freeing parties from liability due to extraordinary, unavoidable events—such as natural disasters (“acts of God”), war, or pandemics—that prevent contract performance. Originating from French civil law (meaning “superior force”), it is invoked by proving the event was unforeseeable, external, and insurmountable.
Yeah, so they are taking fields being worked by other nations, and then through the seizure further restricting oil output and flow to the rest of the world. Bold move, and one that will work.
To be perfectly clear, I don’t support Iraq, but they have played their hand quite well.
ETA: fat fingered the country.
Israel and USA creating economic chaos around the globe.
Fuckin a we are winning too much sir, please for the love of god, stop the winning.
What about the oilfields in the north which export through the iraq-turkey pipeline?
Just yesterday North Oil company said they will export 250 000 barrels per day initally with the new agreement between Iraq and Turkey. Other companies have shared similar sentiments.
Are we unironically watching “the third way” dream of nationalized oil revive under *checks notes* the US military industrial complex and Israel????
Does this mean that the oilfields in Iraq that are essentially owned and operated by the US & UK are effectively being nationalized?
No refunds. Force majeure. Read the back of your ticket !
So torn between wanting to see the whole economy implode, guaranteeing a MAGA defeat in November, or seeing things somehow inexplicably work out, yet again.
Iraq pulling the “get out of being sued” card
1973 flashbacks
Reuters having a paywall is actually insane to me. I know that’s the business model for media companies these days, but they aren’t just a news site, they’re a wire service.
I’m not versed in oil production, but can you just stop pumping/refining? I’d think there’s a lot more to stopping and resuming production than just flipping a switch.
the part people are glossing over is what this does to contracts downstream. Iraq ships roughly 3.5 million bpd through Hormuz. the Turkey pipeline up north can handle maybe 350-400k on a good day. force majeure does not make the oil appear somewhere else, it just legally shields Iraq from breach-of-contract claims.
the real domino is refineries that built supply chains around Iraqi crude now scrambling for alternatives. and “alternatives” in a Hormuz-closed world means what exactly? Saudi east-west pipeline? UAE Fujairah terminal? both already priced in and under serious pressure.
this is going to be interesting in the most stressful possible sense of that word.
Can I claim “force majeure” on my taxes since the US government has abandoned the social contract with the American people?
We are buggered, the average Joe who has a mortgage and need utilities, seeing them double and quadruple in the coming days
I hope all this bullshit forces the world to turn to clean energy to stop all this crap from happening in the future. It’s time for the world to give up. It’s addiction to fossil fuels.
I’m sorry could someone eli5 I don’t follow these things.
Are yall winning yet ? More wins to come!!!!
I think they mean they’re claiming their oil fields that belong to foreign developers.
Just a guess but they probably see the US at a weakness right now being preoccupied with Iran so unlikely willing to spread the war also to Iraq at the same time. So it’s like we’re claiming your companies’ oil fields and what are you gonna do about it?
Waiting for the Legal Eagle episode to drop.
It’s truly amazing how 77 million Americans fucked the entire world, of billions, so profoundly
So don’t sue us for not delivering oil to america. Makes sense to me
Me, riding my bike to work every day since 2009…”I told you so”
What would happen if one of the world’s largest oil suppliers were attacked? Right, they’d drag everyone else through the mud… And the US doesn’t give a damn because they supposedly have enough. The US is currently causing the entire world to be economically ruined, and what does the egotistical US president do? He blames everyone else because no one wants to help him.
Is it anything like force maneur?
Well, this war is going swimmingly
Thanks, Israel
We need to recognise the disgusting racist abomination of Zionism, listen to South Africa, this will be downvoted, by whom, ask that question
Don’t worry about it. The American taxpayer will cover all losses and damages. Registered Republicans and MAGA supporters will be more than happy to give an extra 15-20% in taxes to cover losses.
Yo Trump better calm the fuck down.
He is calling NATO Cowards.
Last time i checked Iraq doesn’t make decisions like that…
Trump has single handily destroyed the oil transport in the world Evil man that will make Americans pay for his sins
If only there were other sources of energy that nations could have seriously invested in to reduce demand for oil.