Iraqi father Hussein Julood has initiated legal proceedings against BP, alleging that the practice of gas flaring at the Rumaila oil field led to toxic emissions causing his son's leukemia and subsequent death. The case raises concerns over BP's environmental and community health practices in a region already vulnerable to corporate environmental negligence.

BP plc is facing legal action after an Iraqi national sent a Letter Before Action on April 22, 2024, alleging that excessive gas flaring at the Rumaila oil field caused toxic emissions leading to the cancer and subsequent death of his son. The lawsuit highlights BP's failure to reduce harmful emissions despite its public claims of environmental responsibility.

BP has come under fire by the coalition 'No Business With Genocide' for its nearly $84 billion investment in Azerbaijan, which critics say has financially underwritten President Ilham Aliyev’s autocratic regime and its alleged ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. The company’s conspicuous silence on these human rights abuses has intensified concerns over its complicity in enabling such atrocities.

BP remains in troubled waters over an oil spill incident, with a potential settlement with the DOJ and SEC that excludes environmental penalties, leaving the company open to fines up to $5.4 billion. This situation raises concerns about BP's business practices and its responsibility towards environmental safety and community welfare.

The article reveals how BP’s profit-driven strategies have influenced UK foreign policy to favor wars, coups, and dictatorial regimes worldwide. It highlights how BP’s interests have led governments in the UK and US to support authoritarian rulers—from the 1953 coup in Iran to interventions in Iraq, Libya, Egypt, and beyond—demonstrating a pattern of using economic clout and political influence to bolster repressive regimes while sidelining democratic values and human rights.

The article recounts historical events in which the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, later BP, controlled Iran's oil industry. This control contributed to foreign interference and exploitative practices that fueled political instability and authoritarian regimes, culminating in the nationalisation movement of the oil industry in 1953.

In 1953, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company—later known as British Petroleum—played a direct role in undermining Iranian democracy. The company provided financial backing for covert operations, including bribery and economic measures, that facilitated the overthrow of Prime Minister Mossadegh. This support helped install an authoritarian regime aligned with Western colonial interests, significantly contributing to Iran’s long history of exploitation and loss of sovereignty.

The article recounts BP's origins as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and its involvement in the political crisis of 1953 in Iran. It details how the company, under British direction, contributed to the overthrow of Prime Minister Mossadegh by facilitating covert operations, which ultimately paved the way for authoritarian rule in Iran.

An analysis of historical evidence suggests that the former Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later BP) was involved in leveraging international proposals—including a World Bank offer described as a 'Trojan Horse'—designed to restore its control over Iranian oil operations, thereby undermining Iranian national sovereignty and contributing to the geopolitical conditions that facilitated authoritarian outcomes.