Iranian forces moved into a contested section of the Iraq-Iran border in December 2009 and took control of Well 4 in the Fauqa oil field, raising their national flag over a site that Iraqi officials insist lies on their side of the boundary.
A US military spokesman at a base near Nasiriyah confirmed the incident was resolved without violence and expressed confidence that diplomacy between Baghdad and Tehran would settle the matter. US Colonel Peter Newell noted the well sits roughly 500 meters from an Iranian border post and about 1 kilometer from an Iraqi one, placing it technically within Iraqi territory under an existing border agreement.
The Fauqa field holds estimated reserves of 1.55 million barrels and was among fields Iraq offered to international oil companies at auction earlier that year without success. Five other fields in the same area are similarly disputed.
According to Newell, the two sides have traded control of the site repeatedly, with Iraqi crews periodically repainting it in national colors before withdrawing, after which Iranian forces return and do the same. Iraqi officials have also raised concerns about Iran extracting oil from reservoirs that extend beneath Iraqi soil.
Iraq's national security council convened an emergency session chaired by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, and an oil ministry team was sent to evaluate the situation on the ground.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in December 2009, in its own words.