MenuThe war in the Middle East and the on-again, off-again closure of the Strait of Hormuz have dominated news cycles for months. The oft-predicted economic apocalypse hasn’t materialized. Yet. Read the full article here.
Tag Archives: Iran
Energy Targets In The Sights Of Two Theaters Of War
On the first of this month, Ukrainian drones struck three oil refineries in Russia’s Bashkortostan region near the city of Ufa, around 1,600 kilometers from the border. A day later, Rosneft’s Saratov refinery was hit, a plant that processed 5.8 million tons of oil in 2024. These two incidents are part of a long list of damaging attacks on energy
Alliances Duel To Reshape Middle Eastern Energy
As the fighting in the Persian Gulf expands, competition between major region-adjacent powers, including Turkey and Pakistan, is plain to see. While Iran is attacking the U.S., Israel, Kuwait, the UAE, and other Gulf states, the Sunni bloc led by Turkey and Pakistan, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar as its members, is bobbing and weaving.
Hormuz Conflict Damages Persian Gulf Havens
The war with Iran and the recurrent closures of the Strait of Hormuz have rattled financial markets across the globe, but the greatest immediate costs are being borne by the Arab Gulf states, long safe havens of domestic and international investors. Missile strikes and drone attacks have damaged critical facilities, disrupted aviation, and undermined the
Beyond Oil: Disruption In Hormuz Spells Trouble For Global Markets
This past Saturday, July 4th, saw two major events on the world stage. In America, jubilant crowds celebrated 250 years of independence, replete with fireworks, air shows, sizzling heat, and congratulations from around the globe, including the EU, UK, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, Poland, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, and many others. Read the full article
The Phony Ceasefire: Calm Before the Storm?
During the opening months of the Second World War, things moved slowly first in the period that became known as the Phony War, or Sitzkrieg in German. Following the fall of Poland in September 1939, and before Germany invaded Denmark and Norway in April 1940, the absence of sustained military operations created the illusion of normalcy.
The Iran Deal Drives Oil Prices Down, But Uncertainty Looms
The announcement that Washington and Tehran have agreed to end hostilities and restore commercial access to the Strait of Hormuz has had a massive impact on markets. Crude futures dropped sharply. Read the full article here.
Water Is A Weapon In The Third Gulf War
If the current Gulf War, marked by controversy over control of the Strait of Hormuz, does not end soon, the conflict may shift from attacks on the transport of oil by sea to disrupting vital potable water resources. Just before President Trump announced Thursday, June 11, that the ceasefire is to be signed imminently, the U.S. allegedly
Iranian Aggression Masks Economic Difficulties
Since June 7, Iran and its proxy, the Houthi rebels (with their rallying cry, “God is great, death to America, death to Israel, a curse upon the Jews, victory to Islam”), have launched more than 30 ballistic missiles at Israel, prompting the Israelis to retaliate with airstrikes, and setting the stage for renewed hostilities and escalating
Bitter Harvest: How The Iran Crisis Is Altering Fertilizer Markets
Warfare in the Persian Gulf is hitting markets well beyond oil and gas. Disruptions near the southern Iranian coastal city of Bandar Abbas and the near-blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-third of globally traded fertilizer moves — are forcing buyers to rethink sourcing strategies that had been established for decades. Fertilizer prices