Energy & Economics

Baghdad should allow Kurdistan based oil operators to invest in the rest of Iraq as a part of a solution to the long-standing oil issue between Erbil and Baghdad, using a proven, practical model currently being implemented.

The energy sector is one indicator of the heavy costs the region will pay in the event of a wider conflict, with some effects already measurable in certain countries.

Although joining BRICS is an exciting economic prospect for many governments, the addition of new member states has not been without controversy. In Egypt, news of the nation’s accession to this institution has fueled a heated internal media debate on the feasibility of the move and its impact on the deteriorating economic situation in Egypt.

New data-rich graphics strikingly illustrate the growth in Tehran’s oil revenue and China’s outsize role in fueling this trend.

With the country’s power plants in a parlous state, many Lebanese have turned to diesel-driven options, while the government has sought supply help from regional players such as Turkey and Iraq.

Iraq’s stagnant political and legal environments today indicate that the country still faces a deep strategic impasse as a result of international obligations and limitations.

For the first time in decades, America’s top strategic priority diverges from that of its key regional partners, but Washington can close the gap by increasing their understanding of China and removing the blinders from their threat perceptions.

China's recent mediation efforts between Riyadh and Tehran were motivated by a combination of strategic outlook and economic interest in the Middle East, signaling a gradual shift away from its traditional "free-riding" approach.

If the United States does not accompany its military deterrent efforts with strong diplomatic signals, the current cycle of ship seizures and Iranian retaliatory measures could spiral into something resembling the 1980s Tanker War.