President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Syria as a possible alternative to the Strait of Hormuz has pushed an old energy-security problem back to the center of Middle Eastern strategy. On September 3, Trump reacted positively to a Washington Post report describing Syria’s effort to market itself as an overland corridor from …
Read More »Natural gas, corridors, and security: Why Turkey wants Egypt in the Mecca Pact
The Eastern Mediterranean’s importance is often measured by its gas discoveries, but reserves acquire strategic value only when they can reach consumers. Egypt’s Zohr, Israel’s Tamar and Leviathan, and Cyprus’s Aphrodite, Glaucus and Cronos have given the basin a substantial resource base. Yet Egypt occupies the pivotal position because its Idku …
Read More »From Transit Corridor to Energy Hub: Türkiye after the Iran-Israel-U.S. War
The 2025-2026 Iran-Israel-U.S. conflict marked a turning point in global energy politics. Direct attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure, such as South Pars and the Kharg Island export terminal, along with Iranian threats to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz, revealed the weakness of maritime chokepoints. About 20% of the world’s seaborne …
Read More »Is the United Arab Emirates’ Iran Trade Freeze Economic Shock or Strategic Pivot?
Enforcement Will Test Abu Dhabi’s Appetite to Absorb Domestic Costs While Pressuring Tehran On August 19, 2026, the United Arab Emirates announced it had stopped “all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions” with Iran “until further notice.” But the Foreign Ministry did not cite a new statute, cabinet resolution, sanctions list or …
Read More »Turkey’s gas pivot leaves Iran with fewer cards to play
he expiry of a 25-year gas contract has exposed a shift in the Iran-Turkey energy relationship, with Ankara now enjoying more supply options while Tehran risks losing one of its most dependable export markets. The contract expired on July 29 after governing Iranian pipeline gas supplies to Turkey for 25 …
Read More »From Manisa to Szeged: BYD’s shifting European investment strategy
In June 2026, Chinese electric-vehicle manufacturer BYD confirmed that its planned $1 billion electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle factory in Manisa, western Turkiye, had been placed on indefinite hold. The project, signed with great ceremony in July 2024 in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had been presented as a …
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 »ConocoPhillips and the Remaking of Syria’s Energy Industry
The Company Carries Influence Since It Would Bring a U.S. Major Into a Sector That Washington Has Viewed as Off-Limits ConocoPhillips’s reported plan to sign a contract with Syria’s transitional government would be a significant step in Syria’s return to international energy markets. If finalized, this deal would make ConocoPhillips the …
Read More »Turkey’s Hejaz Railway Revival and the Limits of a Hormuz Alternative
A Revived Line Would Connect Turkish Industry to Arab Markets, Boost North-South Trade, and Complement Other Projects Turkey is working to modernize and extend the historic Hejaz Railway as it seeks to transform this neglected Ottoman-era line into a tool for infrastructure diplomacy. Built in the early 20th century to …
Read More »France’s Eastern Mediterranean energy strategy: Between commercial pragmatism and geopolitical ambition
France has emerged as a significant actor in the Eastern Mediterranean energy landscape, combining commercial interests, geopolitical ambition, and European energy security priorities. Its approach rests on three pillars: support for French corporate activity, especially through TotalEnergies; strategic alignment with Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, and Israel; and efforts to counterbalance Turkey’s growing assertiveness …
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