Recently. U.S president. Donald Trump. in the latest presidential memorandum to the secretary of State. the secretary of the treasury. and the secretary of energy wrote: “…..there is a sufficient supply of petroleum and petroleum products from countries other than Iran to permit a significant reduction in the volume of petroleum and petroleum products purchased from Iran by or through foreign financial institutions1“. it was to manage and govern the actions. practices. and policies of these departments and agencies for Iran containment and sabotage of JCPOA.
After abundance in shale oil production in U.S-the idea of “Energy Dominance“ first came into the center of the Trump`s election campaign discussions and then governmental policy. generally. the core of the energy dominance idea is defined as a “strategic. economic. and foreign policy goal of the United States“2. The kernel of the energy dominance idea is: a U.S energy dominant country would be a secure and self-reliant nation in confronting and dealing with geopolitical turmoil from side of other nations who seek to use energy as a political and economic weapon. in next step that country has been evaluating energy dominance idea as a foreign policy tool.
The history of U.S and her partners in energy policy shows oil has been applying as a political weapon in many cases3. Literature of oil security has been replete with fear of using oil as a geopolitical weapon from side of petro-states versus consumers but it is irony of story when Donald Trump has been using this vital commodity as a tool of foreign policy. What was issued by Trump as the latest presidential memorandum innuendo U.S Shale Oil is applicable for using Political and Geo-Technical weapon in the game of Iran scapegoating by triangular of Saudi-Israel- U.S. This policy is a new stage of energy wars. an unprecedented stage in sabotage of what was agreed before. After shale boom U.S shale oil has been acting as a ceiling versus high oil prices. in this way. U.S as a polar of oil producer would be able to reduce its vulnerabilities in confronting with crises from volatile regions and acting as a new petro-state but the key point is that other pillars of U.S Persian Gulf policies make sense as well. Today U.S concern in this region is not mere warranty of oil flow but containment of a disobedient illiberal player. Iran. both Iran and U.S have been playing for making their own order in this region. Iran for defending and survival in an insecure region but U.S for containing and making its own idealistic global and regional order.
According to the logic of pragmatism of survival-OPEC oil producers must consider both the shadow of U.S shale oil as an eventual Geo-Technical weapon against oil-producers and coming wave of renewable energies on their selections when it comes to policy-making. Petro-states of Persian Gulf region in crossing of great-divide must pragmatically choose the best alternative between their own maximizing of interests and regional racings and contestations. OPEC has been under the eclipse of political rivalry since the first years of establishing. now oil-producers can choice between joining actions for maximizing of their interests or in concert with U.S policies against Iran and going toward more smashing of political capitals and more regional divergence.
* Geo-Technical weapon is a coined term by writer for elucidation of a regional advantage which can be used versus another player. here shale oil as an American technology of oil production
Sources: 1-https: www.whitehouse.gov the-press-office 2017 11 16 presidential-memo…
2- For study of the idea of “Energy Dominance“ see: https: www.foreignaffairs.com articles united-states 2017-07-06 america… (Bordoff. 2017)
3- For Example see: The Oil Kings: How the U.S. Iran. and Saudi Arabia Changed the Balance of Power in the Middle East. Andrew Scott Cooper. New York. Simon Schuster. 2011 By: Ali Torabi. MA in North American Studies
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