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Opinion / United States
While the rest of the world is mainly concerned about the energy disruptions caused by the Iran war, the Gulf countries are more anxious about the Islamic Republic’s threats to their desalination facilities. If the US attempts to seize Kharg Island, it could spell disaster for the region's "saltwater kingdoms."
Iran’s wider goal is to raise global energy prices, including those for Gulf oil-dependent Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines and Vietnam.
If the current war creates a prolonged oil crisis, there will be more downward pressure on oil use – and an equal acceleration in China of electric car production at home, with an associated surge in exports.
Food & Agriculture
The war in Iran could create a fertiliser shock, risking global food prices and farming
Around a third of globally traded urea passes through the Strait of Hormuz and importing countries are less self-sufficient than they appear.
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