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Opinion / #energy security
The global energy transition was once defined by energy security, affordability, and environmental sustainability. But a new era of geopolitical conflict has reshaped the energy trilemma, with national security the overriding priority.
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.
All #energy security Opinion
17 March 2026
11 March 2026
5 March 2026
10 February 2026
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4 February 2026
27 October 2025
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10 September 2025
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Manufacturing
The delicate art of natural resource diplomacy
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