▁of ▁its ▁war - cri pp led ▁economy . ▁According ▁to ▁former ▁Ira qi ▁Foreign ▁Minister ▁T ari q ▁Az iz , ▁" every ▁US $ 1 ▁drop ▁in ▁the ▁price ▁of ▁a ▁bar rel ▁of ▁oil ▁caused ▁a ▁US $ 1 ▁billion ▁drop ▁in ▁Ira q ' s ▁annual ▁reven ues ▁trigger ing ▁an ▁ac ute ▁financial ▁crisis ▁in ▁Bag hd ad ". ▁K uw ait ' s ▁ref us al ▁to ▁decrease ▁its ▁oil ▁production ▁was ▁viewed ▁by ▁Ira q ▁as ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁ag gression ▁against ▁it . ▁ ▁The ▁increasing ly ▁t ense ▁relations ▁between ▁Ira q ▁and ▁K uw ait ▁were ▁further ▁ag gra v ated ▁when ▁Ira q ▁alleg ed ▁that ▁K uw ait ▁was ▁sl ant - dr illing ▁across ▁the ▁border ▁into ▁Ira q ' s ▁Rum ail a ▁field . ▁The ▁dispute ▁over ▁Rum ail a ▁field ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁when ▁an ▁Arab ▁League ▁declaration ▁marked ▁the ▁Ira q – K uw ait ▁border ▁ 2 ▁miles ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁southern most ▁tip ▁of ▁the ▁Rum ail a ▁field . ▁During ▁the ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War , ▁Ira qi ▁oil ▁dr illing ▁operations ▁in ▁Rum ail a ▁decl ined ▁while ▁K uw ait ' s ▁operations ▁increased . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁Ira q ▁accused ▁K uw ait ▁of ▁using ▁" ad vanced ▁dr illing ▁techniques " ▁to ▁explo it ▁oil ▁from ▁its ▁share ▁of ▁the ▁Rum ail a ▁field . ▁Ira q ▁estimated ▁that