In The News

Saudis Threaten New Oil-Price War: WSJ

Benoit Faucon and Summer Said July 1, 2020
Oil prices plummeted in March when OPEC and non-OPEC producers including Russia could not agree on production cuts to stabilize oil prices. Producers opened the taps, and oil prices went into negative territory with worries over storage space. By April, 23 nations agreed to a 10 percent cut in output. But many producers depend on oil revenue for budget, and Saudi Arabia promised a new price war...

Iran Reins in Family Planning: BBC News

June 29, 2020
Iran is limiting provision of family planning services at state-run facilities to counter a decline in population growth. Iran’s median age is 32, slightly higher than the world’s median age of 30. The World Bank reports Iran’s fertility rate at 2.1 children per women, which is replacement level. The government also reports that marriage rates dropped by 40 percent in a decade. “Vasectomies will...

Uncertainty for Middle East: Syndication Bureau

Dnyanesh Kamat June 11, 2020
Rising Chinese-US tensions create strategic uncertainty around economic-development, foreign policy and even internal politics in the Middle East. US plans to relocate strategic industries, including healthcare and technology, away from China may benefit economies like Egypt or Morocco. “On the other hand, the increasingly zero-sum nature of economic competition between China and the US means...

Shaky Coalition Government in Israel: NPR

Mark Katov May 18, 2020
Israel had three elections since April 2019 that produced no clear winner. To contain the Covid-19 pandemic, leading rivals Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz agreed to share power in a unit government, despite Gantz’s pledge not to join a government led by his rival. “Netanyahu begins his fifth consecutive term as prime minister one week before he goes on trial for corruption charges,” reports...

Saudi Arabia Imposes Austerity Measures: WSJ

Stephen Kalin and Donna Abdulaziz May 11, 2020
Countries around the world have their hands full responding to the Covid-19 pandemic and cannot afford missteps in other areas. In early March, OPEC nations failed to reach agreement with non-OPEC nations to limit oil production, and Saudi Arabia responded by opening the pumps, forcing prices to plummet. The oil producers later reached agreement to limit production, but it was too late. Two...

US-Iran Confrontation Escalates: New York Times

David E. Sanger, Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt April 30, 2020
A few hours after Iran successfully sent its first “military satellite” into orbit, the US president declared on Twitter that he had asked the Navy to sink any Iranian fast boats that harass US warships in the Persian Gulf. The launch was significant for Iran because the satellite originated from a mobile launch vehicle, which could potentially launch missiles and deliver nuclear weapons....

US Energy Independence Is Dying: OilPrice.com

Irina Slav April 8, 2020
As COVID-19 spread worldwide, Saudi Arabia and Russia failed to agree on oil production limits. Russia suggested it would slash production only if the United States did likewise, putting a dagger into any notion of US energy independence. Many US firms reject a deal with OPEC or Russia. Production continues, global oil storage is running out; the US economy remains dependent on fossil fuels and...