Friday , April 17 2026
  • My New Book

    US Energy Diplomacy in the Caspian Sea Basin: Changing Trends Since2001 - Available on Springer

  • My New Book

    US Energy Diplomacy in the Caspian Sea Basin: Changing Trends Since2001 - Available on Amazon

Recent Articles

The immense cost of Iran’s nuclear program

Western nations have long disputed Iran's claims that its uranium enrichment has peaceful aims [FILE: 2010]

Erfan Kasraie- DWIran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes, including energy production. But the figures and statistics paint a different picture. he peace talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad failed to deliver an agreement, with one key issue proving to be the main sticking …

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Iran sees hundreds of thousands of jobs lost due to war

Thousands of Iranians have lost their jobs since the war broke out [FILE: March 2023]

Shabnam von Hein04/15/2026April 15, 2026After six weeks of war, job losses are growing in Iran. Destroyed industrial facilities have brought production in many sectors to a standstill, hitting Iranian workers particularly hard. More than 93 million people in Iran are living in the shadow of a war that could flare …

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Ghalibaf’s rise signals Iran’s turn towards Bonapartism

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, dressed in an IRGC uniform, chairs a session in Tehran on February 1, 2026. (AFP)

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf’s rising influence increasingly reflects a Bonapartist adaptation towards centralised authority exercised by an insider promising order without structural reform The concept of “Ghalibaf and Bonapartism” has emerged as a useful analytical lens for understanding the Islamic Republic’s evolving power structure amid mounting domestic and international …

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Non-oil boom masks deeper risk as Saudi growth still hinges on state spending

Saudi Vision 2030 deploys several policy instruments to reduce dependence on hydrocarbons. Central among them is the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which serves as the primary capital engine for diversification by investing in strategic sectors such as tourism, entertainment, mining, logistics, renewables, and advanced manufacturing. These investments are complemented by …

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When gas becomes a battlefield: Qatar’s LNG disruption marks a new era of energy warfare

State-owned QatarEnergy halted LNG production after Iranian drone attacks on Ras Laffan and Mesaieed and declared force majeure on shipments to affected buyers. (Moneycontrol)

QatarEnergy’s force majeure declaration crystallises a broader shift in global energy markets toward fragmentation and securitisation. The disruption has intensified market tightness, driven price volatility, and exposed the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to geopolitical conflict QatarEnergy’s March 24 declaration of force majeure on parts of its long-term LNG contracts marks …

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Potential U.S. Strike Targets Include Natural Gas Power Plants

A U.S. bomber at RAF Fairford, a base in England used by the American Air Force. Toby Shepheard/Reuters

By Brian Spegele If President Trump follows through on his threat to attack Iranian power assets, the strikes would almost certainly target plants in the country that generate electricity from natural gas. Around 80% of power generation in Iran came from natural gas as of 2023, according to the International …

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What Does Iraq’s Force Majeure Declaration Mean for Energy Markets?

Cargo ships line the horizon in the Strait of Hormuz.Shutterstock

Iraq Has Not Reduced Output Due to Policy Decisions or Quotas—It Has Shut Down Production Because It Cannot Export On March 20, 2026, Iraq’s Oil Ministry declared force majeure on oilfields operated by foreign companies after disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz halted tanker traffic and blocked exports. The decision reflected a breakdown in …

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Kharg Island: The oil lifeline that could ignite a global energy shock

This handout image taken by the European Space Agency, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, shows a view of Iran's Kharg island. [AFP]

If the conflict intensifies and Kharg’s export facilities become targets, the result could be a severe supply disruption that drives oil prices sharply higher and destabilises energy markets worldwide. In most wars, geography quietly shapes the outcome. In the escalating confrontation between Iran, Israel, and the United States, one small …

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Iraq’s Northern Exports Return, but Supply Risks Persist

An oil field in Kirkuk, Iraq.Shutterstock

Disputes Between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region May Limit Demand for Northern Iraqi Crude On March 17, 2026, Iraq’s federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government agreed to resume crude exports through the northern segment of the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline to Turkey’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. By March 18, shipments had commenced, with …

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South Pars Strike Marks Major Step in Persian Gulf Energy Warfare

The crisis has shifted from a logistical bottleneck to a structural supply shock, with far more severe implications for global energy stability On March 18, Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field and the onshore processing hub at Asaluyeh in Bushehr province, marking a major escalation in the conflict begun by the …

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