Central banks often carry reserves of various currencies to help with those international settlements and to manipulate currency values.
The US claimed to invade Iraq because they were holding WMD.
US led NATO forces claimed to liberate Libya because, checks notes, they were mistreating rebels in a “civil war” orchestrated by the CIA.
Yet both Iraq and Libya had the nerve to try and trade their oil in currencies other than USD. Coincidence?
How about militarydollar or imperialismdollar or neocondollar.
Per Investopedia the petrodollar system was established in the mid-1970’s [0]
Per Wikipedia, the Vietnam war lasted from 1951-1975 [1]
In any case the argument wasn’t that the US only invades countries that try to sell oil in currencies other than USD.
It was that anytime a country tries to sell oil in a currency other than USD they automatically become enemies of the US and get invaded.
I agree. It's not a good look for self-proclaimed democracy heroes. Saddam was our friend, until he wasn't.
Current batch of neocons are splitting the world for endless cold war spending.