Halliburton announced in January of 2005 that it was shutting-down
its Iran operations, but would honor existing "contractual commitments"
until they were fulfilled.
"Halliburton announced today that all of its contractual commitments
in Iran have been completed and the company is no longer working in
Iran," the firm said in a brief statement.
The company, headed by Dick Cheney from 1995 to 2000 before he
became vice president, added that its "prior business" in Iran was
"clearly permissible under applicable laws and regulations."
Halliburton, which could not be reached for further comment, was
involved in at least one contract to drill for gas in Iran in 2005
although the contract was subsequently cancelled by Iran's government.
It had won the contract even though a US law, dating to 1996,
threatens sanctions on US and foreign groups that invest over 40
million dollars in Iran's energy sector.
Halliburton might be pulling out of Iran, which has troubled
political relations with the United States, but it is boosting its
footprint elsewhere in the region.
Halliburton announced last month that it was relocating to the
United Arab Emirates to capitalize on the Gulf region's booming energy
market.
