The recent agreement between the United States and Iran could portend well for regional security—or it could reinforce existing divisions and promote further escalatory behavior from each side, with significant economic consequences in either case. The recently announced prisoner swap between the United States and Iran has spurred debates about how it …
Read More »The Geopolitical Chessboard: IMEC’s Role in Shaping New Balance of Power
Key Points Beyond just building infrastructure, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project has significant geopolitical relevance and can transform world power relations amid a rising regional and global rivalry for transportation corridors. The IMEC project is a game-changer since it intends to boost connection, enable sustainable growth, and revolutionize …
Read More »Saudi Arabia-Iran normalization and possible bilateral energy relations
Introduction In a breakthrough deal, brokered by China, Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed on the resumption of diplomatic relations and the mutual opening of embassies, a move that could change the balance of power in the Middle East and restore stability in the region. Under the agreement reached, the …
Read More »Iran-Saudi Agreement: In Search of Stable Oil Exports and New Relations
As a “neutral” power seeking to distance itself from the Middle East’s various geopolitical rivalries, China has supported reconciliation and peace to stabilize its access to the region’s resources. The relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia has been fraught with tension for decades, with each side accusing the other of interference in …
Read More »Saudi Aramco’s U.S. Investments: A Win-Win Template for Bilateral Energy Engagement
As Saudi Arabia has grappled with its Vision 2030 reform plan and its transition away from fossil fuels, one international partner of choice in the energy sector has emerged: the United States In recent years, many countries in the Middle East region have concluded that their continued economic dependence on …
Read More »The Dynamics Shaping Global Energy Markets in 2023
After a year of unprecedented turmoil, global energy prices could return to a ‘new normal’ in 2023—or they could be further disrupted by ongoing or new political and economic crises. The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led to major reverberations in energy markets around the world. In an attempt …
Read More »Iran and China Loom Large in Saudi Arabia’s “Game of Drones”
Driven by its desire for economic gain and the threat posed by Iran, Saudi Arabia has relied heavily on China to develop its domestic drone program—much to Washington’s chagrin. In recent years, many Middle Eastern states have devoted growing sums to research in cutting-edge defense technology—particularly drone warfare, a crucial …
Read More »How the Arash-Dorra Gas Field Could Improve Saudi-Iran Ties
Energy diplomacy and national interest suggest a good opportunity for Iran and Saudi Arabia, each within the framework of its own national interests, to jointly extract oil and gas from this field. Over the past two decades, Iran’s Ministry of Oil had made increasing the production capacity of oil and …
Read More »Russia and the Gulf: Implications for Global Energy Markets and Moscow’s International Isolation
Pressure is growing around the world to cut off international purchases of Russian oil because of the Kremlin’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In recent days, the government of Poland announced its intentions to do just that, in addition to self-embargos on Russian coal and natural gas, before the end …
Read More »Why Gulf States Can (or Cannot) Replace Russian Oil and Gas
Given Europe’s need for Russian natural gas and the lack of easily available alternatives for Russia’s energy resources in the European market in the short term, solutions to political disagreements between Europe and the Middle East are more vital now than ever. Energy flows—imports and exports—constitute a major element of …
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