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 …
Read More »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 …
Read More »Iran’s Energy Sector Facing Structural Economic Strain
Iran’s hydrocarbon sector, which holds the world’s fourth-largest oil reserves and second-largest natural gas reserves, remains structurally significant to global energy markets. However, it is increasingly constrained by domestic macroeconomic pressures and external trade frictions. As of early 2026, rapid currency depreciation, persistently high inflation, recurring gas shortages, and episodic …
Read More »PM reviews oil, gas supply as analysts warn reliance on imports leaves India open to war disruptions
As Iran war enters 11th day, government prioritises household gas supply, boosts LPG output and invokes Essential Commodities Act amid concerns over potential shortages. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to review India’s oil and gas situation …
Read More »Escalation in the Middle East: What Comes Next – Opinion
In late February 2026, the United States and Israel launched a major military campaign against Iran in response to what both governments described as pending security threats, including concerns related to Tehran’s nuclear program and missile capabilities. The operation involved a series of coordinated airstrikes targeting Iranian military and strategic …
Read More »Is Iran Heading to State Failure?
The Regime May Still Hold the Center, but Holding the Center Is Not the Same as Maintaining State Capacity The February 28, 2026, U.S. and Israeli air strikes have not yet ended the Islamic Republic, but they have weakened the Iranian state’s ability to govern. State failure does not begin …
Read More »Why Tehran’s business pitch to Trump won’t end nuclear deadlock
Reports in major outlets that Tehran has floated a “commercial bonanza” to the Trump administration should be understood less as an investment roadmap than as a survival strategy. As Donald Trump’s 10-to-15-day deadline for a “meaningful” deal with Iran enters its decisive phase, Iranian officials appear to be reframing diplomacy …
Read More »Venezuela’s Return to Oil Markets Enhances Israel’s Energy Security
Changes in One Producer’s Political and Economic Conditions Can Ripple Across Global Energy Markets On February 10, 2026, Bloomberg reported that traders shipped Venezuelan crude oil to Israel’s Bazan Group, the country’s largest refinery operator in Haifa. The cargo marks the first Venezuelan delivery to Israel since mid-2020, when Israel imported approximately …
Read More »Syria’s Energy Sector Faces Structural, Not Symbolic, Barriers
Syria Holds an Estimated 2.5 Billion Barrels of Oil and 8.5 Trillion Cubic Feet of Gas but Reserves Do Not Guarantee Recovery Syria’s oil and gas sector once anchored state revenues and energy security. Before 2011, the country produced roughly 380,000 barrels per day of oil and about 25 million …
Read More »The Lukoil-West Qurna-2 Case Exposes Iraq’s Strategic Vulnerabilities
The Project That Once Balanced Russian Expertise with Iraqi Sovereignty Now Exposes the Fragility of This Set-up Western sanctions have reshaped Iraq’s oil sector. In October 2025, the United States and United Kingdom targeted Lukoil and Rosneft’s overseas operations to curtail Moscow’s war financing. Lukoil promptly declared force majeure at West Qurna-2, which …
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