The new pipeline will undoubtedly make UAE less vulnerable to disruptions in Hormuz. The country is also not new to the idea of bypassing the strait. New Delhi: As conflict in West Asia raises fresh concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz—the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint—the United …
Read More »The UAE’s Fujairah bet: Export flexibility, energy security, and regional leverage
The UAE’s planned second Fujairah, or West-East, pipeline marks a major shift in Gulf energy security and export strategy. It matters not only because it reduces dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, but because it gives Abu Dhabi more freedom to manage exports, expand production, and strengthen its economic leverage. Announced for …
Read More »Iraq’s Delayed Gulf Cooperation Council Power Link Deepens Summer Electricity Risks
Baghdad Struggles with Rising Demand, Limited Domestic Generation, and Heavy Dependence on Iran for Fuel SuppliesIraq has been told that the long-awaited Gulf Cooperation Council electrical interconnection project will not arrive on schedule, leaving Baghdad with one fewer option before the summer heat. The project was due to begin operating …
Read More »China’s Legal Shield Against U.S. Sanctions on Iranian Oil
On May 2, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a landmark prohibition order under its 2021 Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extraterritorial Application of Foreign Legislation and Other Measures, commonly known as China’s Blocking Rules. The order bars the recognition, enforcement, or compliance inside China with U.S. sanctions imposed on five Chinese …
Read More »War, oil, and a Middle Eastern renewable energy transition
One week into the United States-Israel war on Iran in late February, missiles shifted towards each belligerent’s fossil fuel infrastructure. By March, President Donald Trump declared he wanted to “take the oil in Iran.” The war quickly devolved into a battle over energy targets and the control of oil prices Though oil …
Read More »Is Iraq’s Seven-Day Oil Recovery Claim Realistic?
Restarting Production Requires More than Reopening Valves, Likely Taking Weeks Rather than Days Iraq’s claim that it can restore oil production and exports within seven days of a Strait of Hormuz reopening may reassure markets, but the process would not be simple. Iraqi officials, including Deputy Oil Minister Basim Mohammed …
Read More »The long shock: How the Iran war is remaking the global economy
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz marks a rupture in the post-1970s energy order, with consequences that may redefine how the global economy functions The US and Israeli-led war on Iran has initiated a chain reaction that has culminated in the most significant oil supply disruption in modern history. Iran’s retaliatory strikes against …
Read More »Chokepoints and control: Iran war and the new geopolitics of connectivity
The most consequential conflicts are no longer fought over land, but over the networks that bind the world together and over who gets to use them, and on what terms In the aftermath of the Iran war, global power dynamics would shift decisively from territorial control to the management of …
Read More »Iran war turns India-Saudi oil trade into a strategic partnership
What once looked like diversification for both now feels like necessity. The relationship is no longer just about barrels moving from one port to another; it is increasingly about managing shared risks, building joint infrastructure, and aligning long-term strategies The Iran-Israel war of 2026 has not only disrupted global energy …
Read More »How Will the Gulf Arab Economies Change Post-War?
Recovery Will Not Be Simply a Return to the Old Model, Now That Gulf States Are Diversifying Their Energy and Economies After Israel and the United States attacked the Islamic Republic of Iran on February 28, 2026, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded with missiles and drones targeting oil facilities, …
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