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
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 »Power, water, and governance: The roots of Iran’s summer blackouts
Summer nears, yet Iran’s power troubles run deeper than just hot days. Blackouts loom not simply due to weather but because neglect has weakened the grid over years. Outdated plants struggle now where new investment was ignored before. Fuel runs low at times, worsened when rivers shrink beneath long dry spells. People use energy …
Read More »The Strategic Logic of Azerbaijan’s Absheron Phase 2
New Gas from Absheron Will Not on Its Own Transform Europe’s Energy Balance, but It Will Add Valuable Supply Diversity On June 1, 2026, during Baku Energy Week, Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company, TotalEnergies, ADNOC International, part of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, and Turkey’s state pipeline company, BOTAŞ, signed a 15-year natural …
Read More »Kazakhstan and the Iran-Israel war: Navigating risks, opportunities, and strategic neutrality
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 »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 »When gas becomes a battlefield: Qatar’s LNG disruption marks a new era of energy warfare
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 »Potential U.S. Strike Targets Include Natural Gas Power Plants
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 …
Read More »Iran’s Retaliation Disrupts Liquefied Natural Gas Markets, Threatens Global Energy Security
The Strait of Hormuz Carries Roughly 20 Percent of Global Liquefied Natural Gas Trade and a Similar Share of Seaborne Oil The escalating conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran has triggered one of the most significant disruptions to global energy markets in recent years. After U.S. and Israeli …
Read More »Iran’s War on Gulf State Energy Infrastructure Reverberates Beyond Oil and Gas
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 …
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