Monday , July 27 2026

Tag Archives: Natural Gas

Chokepoints of power: Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, and the new corridor wars

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait. [Photo/AA]

The concept of “corridor wars” describes intensifying competition among major powers over critical trade, energy, and transit routes in an era of weaponized interdependence. Unlike traditional territorial conflicts, these struggles center on controlling, securing, bypassing, or disrupting chokepoints: narrow maritime passages and overland links through which global commerce flows. Key arenas include …

Read More »

NATO 3.0 and energy security: Rebalancing transatlantic defence in Ankara

A view of the ATO Congresium international convention and exhibition center, where a part of 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit will be held in Ankara, Turkiye, on July 07, 2026. [Akın Çeliktaş – Anadolu Agency]

The 2026 NATO Summit opens today, 7th July, in Ankara, at a critical moment for the Alliance as Russia’s war in Ukraine, pressure on European defense systems, and the U.S. strategic pivot toward the Indo-Pacific intensify debates over transatlantic burden-sharing. The emerging “NATO 3.0” framework would shift greater responsibility for conventional defense, …

Read More »

Kazakhstan and the Iran-Israel war: Navigating risks, opportunities, and strategic neutrality

A view of gigantic poster as daily life continues despite the ongoing conflict in Tehran, Iran on April 1, 2026. [Fatemeh Bahrami – Anadolu Agency]

Kazakhstan, a landlocked Central Asian state with a long-standing multi-vector foreign policy, has been indirectly affected by the 2025–2026 escalation between Israel, the United States, and Iran. The conflict has created both risks and opportunities for Astana. Kazakhstan has tried to preserve pragmatic neutrality while deepening ties with Israel, Gulf states, and …

Read More »

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 …

Read More »

Iran’s War on Gulf State Energy Infrastructure Reverberates Beyond Oil and Gas

A refinery for oil and petrochemicals.Shutterstock

Even Limited Damage Can Force Shutdowns, Suspend Exports, and Trigger Panic Across Energy Markets The Gulf Cooperation Council states—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—long have sustained global energy stability. As the conflict with Iran expands, it directly threatens Persian Gulf oil and gas infrastructure and …

Read More »