21 April 2000 For years, Iran turned a blind eye as Iraq smuggled thousands of barrels of oil a day across the Iranian part of the Shatt al-Arab waterway into the Gulf. No longer. A combination of factors, including Tehran’s very understandable desire to protect its own interests, has prompted a well-publicized clampdown on the illegal trade, leading Tehran to seize 10 vessels in one 24-hour period two weeks ago….