One alternative for Saudi Arabia and possibly other Gulf states to at least partially avoid the Strait of Hormuz is to load tankers via pipelines. Saudi Arabia has been moving millions of barrels of oil a day this way.
However, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have promised to attack Saudi shipping in Red Sea waters they control. They apparently have not attacked any ships, but two tankers reportedly made a U-turn back towards the Suez Cancel. One this news, the price of Brent crude surpassed $90 a barrel today.
In related news, the POTUS promised more bombing as a solution. Sec. of War Pete Hegseth said the DoD (DoW?) would need an additional $37.5 billion to fund the war effort. Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, demurred when asked what the strategy was to end the war.
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This is almost certainly the most aggressive green energy policy in the history of the world.
No one saw this policy pivot coming.
This policy is saying in blunt terms: stop supplying fossil fuels to the world.
A historic effort along multiple fronts:
- a historic budget of $37.5 billion to stop fossil fuel supplies (and a request for future budgets approaching $1.5 trillion, an increase of $500 billion)
- a historic use of military force to physically stop the supply of fossil fuel products, including a historic naval blockade
- a historic scale of restricting fossil fuel supply to the entire world, no matter the flag of any supply vessel, it can be boarded or targeted by missile or drone
- a historic sacrifice: 60% of Americans are against the war and the 30% rise in gas prices, but the message of a larger mission and purpose is clear: “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation.” and “I love inflation.” The US and the world need to stop worrying about “living expenses” and make do with the smaller supply of fossil fuels
- a historic international coalition of the US, Iran and Yemen, uniting and partnering on a common purpose: less fossil fuels supplied to the world
IEA says “2Q26 deliveries plunged by 5 mb/d y-o-y in the face of higher fuel prices and disruptions to product availability…”
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