Commercial vessels and oil tankers preparing to transit through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most critical strategic waterways for global trade flows, maintain their wait in the Gulf of Oman, on June 17, 2026. [Shady Alassar - Anadolu Agency]
From attacks on shipping in the Red Sea to repeated threats around the Strait of Hormuz, the Middle East’s energy arteries are under growing pressure. The war in Gaza and its regional repercussions have added another layer of instability to a system already strained by sanctions, political fragmentation and competition over new corridors. Together, these shocks have exposed a hard truth: in today’s energy order, power belongs not only to those who produce, but increasingly to those who can redirect flows, reach alternative markets and adapt their energy systems fastest when disruption strikes. For decades, influence was measured primarily through reserves, production and export capacity. Those measures still matter, but they no longer tell the whole story. A country may […]

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