Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Dr Kamran Yeganegi
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The strategic value of Kurdish gas for Europe’s energy security
Europe’s Energy Challenge is Far From Over Europe has made significant progress in reducing its dependence on Russian natural gas since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. Through increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, expanded purchases from Norway, and greater reliance on the Southern Gas Corridor, European governments have managed…
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Megawatt diplomacy: Water as the missing link in the new architecture of Middle East energy security
From oil geopolitics to the water-energy nexus For more than a century, energy security in the Middle East has been defined by oil and gas. Strategic waterways, export routes, production capacities and geopolitical rivalries have shaped the region’s role in the global energy system. Yet while policymakers continue to debate…
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Electricity diplomacy: The new power in the Middle East
From the geopolitics of oil to the geopolitics of electricity For decades, Oil and Gas have been the primary instruments of power in the Middle East. Regional states have exercised political and economic influence largely through fossil fuel exports and control over strategic energy routes. However, technological transformation, the expansion…
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The geopolitics of energy algorithms: Who will control oil markets in the age of Artificial Intelligence?
From oil wells to data power For decades, power in the global energy market was defined by oil reserves, production capacity, pipelines, shipping routes and geopolitical geography. States that controlled strategic chokepoints, export corridors and vast hydrocarbon resources were considered the central actors of the international energy order. Yet recent…
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Energy diplomacy in the age of Artificial intelligence: Will algorithms replace OPEC?
The end of traditional energy politics For decades, energy diplomacy in the Middle East revolved around a familiar triangle: Oil, geopolitics and security. Oil-producing states shaped global markets through production capacity, strategic waterways and political alliances, while organisations such as OPEC stood at the centre of energy governance. Recent global…
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The silent pipeline wars: Who is drawing the new gas map of the Middle East?
In today’s Middle East, competition over energy resources is no longer confined to oil and gas fields; it is increasingly centered on routes—and the power to design them. Gas pipelines, once viewed as purely technical infrastructure, have evolved into geopolitical instruments used to project influence, redefine alliances and shape the…
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Has gas replaced oil? LNG geopolitics in a Middle East at war
Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, a fundamental question is taking shape: is liquefied natural gas (LNG) redefining the geopolitics of energy—and even beginning to rival oil as the central pillar of global energy power? For decades, oil has been the backbone of geopolitical competition, conflict, and alliance-building in…
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The naval blockade of Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz: Long-term implications for global energy security
In today’s international system, certain geographical points have evolved beyond their natural location into critical nodes of the global economy. The Strait of Hormuz is undoubtedly one of the most vital of these chokepoints. As a passage through which a significant share of the world’s oil and gas flows, any…
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From the Strait of Hormuz to global markets: The chain reaction of war on energy security
Energy in the Middle East is once again being shaped not only by markets, but by war. As direct confrontation between Iran, the United States and Israel enters a new phase, the implications are no longer confined to the battlefield. Instead, they are unfolding across global energy markets, shipping routes…
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Energy Diplomacy or Energy Security?
Energy in today’s Middle East is no longer merely an economic resource; it has become a central instrument of power, deterrence and geopolitical confrontation. As more than a month has passed since Iran, the United States and Israel entered into direct war, a critical question has come to the forefront:…
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When energy becomes a weapon: Oil and gas diplomacy on day 20 of the Iran–US–Israel War
Twenty days into the escalating confrontation involving Iran, the United States and Israel, it has become increasingly clear that this is not merely a conventional military conflict. Beyond the battlefield, a parallel struggle is unfolding in global energy markets, where oil and gas are no longer just economic commodities, but…
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IMEC vs INSTC: The emerging battle over Middle Eastern energy corridors
The Middle East is no longer merely a producer of energy; it is fast becoming the epicentre of a new geopolitical contest over corridors, connectivity and control. The launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) has signalled more than an infrastructure project. It represents a strategic attempt to redraw…
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After oil, before stability: The Middle East’s energy dilemma in a multipolar world
The Middle East once seemed inseparable from oil — a resource that anchored state budgets, political bargains and global strategic partnerships. Now, that era of oil-led stability is fading into history, and something new — yet uncertain — is emerging in its wake. The region appears to be caught between…
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Energy transition or power redistribution? A geopolitical reading of the New Middle East
The global energy transition is often framed as a technical and environmental necessity — a gradual shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy in response to climate change. In the Middle East, however, this transition is neither linear nor apolitical. It is a deeply geopolitical process, reshaping power relations, alliances,…
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Green energy, old power: Who controls the energy transition in the MENA?
In Gaza, electricity shortages are not a technical inconvenience; they are a daily constraint on hospitals, water systems and basic dignity. Across other fragile parts of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), rolling power cuts and high energy costs have become politically explosive, exposing how electricity functions as pressure…
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Kurdistan region 2035: Hybrid gas-solar power at Iraq’s geopolitical crossroads
Introduction The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) sits at a hard geopolitical junction. Baghdad seeks tighter federal control over energy, a trend reinforced by recent court rulings and budget mechanisms, according to Iraqi government statements and federal decisions. Turkey holds decisive leverage over northern export and transit routes, while Persian…