BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 7 (UPI) -- Iran could launch a retaliatory attack against the $3.6 billion, 1,092 mile-long Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline if attacked by the United States.
Renum news agency reported on Wednesday military expert Uzeir Jafarov said that, "Even if Azerbaijan gives no consent to using its territory by U.S. troops, it should be not ruled out that Tehran, being in a desperate situation, would strike objects of U.S. economic interests in Azerbaijan: works in the Caspian Sea, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline."
Construction of the BTC pipeline began in 2002. The BTC pipeline is one of the biggest engineering projects of the decade.
The pipeline was commissioned by a consortium of energy companies led by BP. BP has a 30.1 percent share of the pipeline and is its operator.
The pipeline was officially opened on May 25, 2005.
When the BTC pipeline becomes fully operational in 2009, it will transport 1 million barrels of oil per day, approximately one percent of global demand.
