Personal Finance Topics / Macroeconomic Trends and Risks
No. of Recommendations: 2
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/saudi-oil-fa...
Attacks in Qatar, Saudi Arabia Drag Energy Sector Into Mideast Conflict
Qatar halts LNG production and tanker traffic comes to virtual stop at key waterway, as Iranian attacks raise risks for global economy
By Summer Said, Georgi Kantchev and Benoit Faucon, The Wall Street Journal, Updated March 2, 2026
Iranian drone attacks on Saudi and Qatari energy facilities and paralyzed Strait of Hormuz traffic caused Brent crude to jump over 8%.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly halted, with 706 non-Iranian tankers anchored outside the waterway.
Amazon Web Services suffered a disruption in the U.A.E. after unidentified objects struck a data center, and airports around the region shut.
Oil exports from Persian Gulf monarchies have collapsed from 22 million barrels a day to 2.8 million barrels a day.[end quote]
The situation is in flux. The Macro trend could shift radically and suddenly.
Wendy
No. of Recommendations: 1
I think it is time to reread Barbara Tuchman's Guns of August.
No. of Recommendations: 2
The situation is in flux. The Macro trend could shift radically and suddenly.
I posted an article on the Policy board, last night. Insurance companies are cancelling coverage for ships in the Gulf. Unless the Saudis feel like underwriting everything, doesn't matter if they want to increase production, because no-one will risk a multi-million dollar ship, with a multi-million dollar cargo, in the middle of a shooting war.
We old phartz remember when Iran was planting mines in the Gulf. USN ships started escorting tankers. Turned out, a tanker could take a mine hit better than a frigate, so the tankers ended up breaking trail for the frigates. Seems the threat environment now is much higher than in the 80s.
Steve
No. of Recommendations: 0
This is going to be profitable for the US equity markets.
A little more money to fill my tank. The prices were low.
This is how Trump takes oil off the world market.
Can the Saudis ship oil from south of the Straits?
No. of Recommendations: 0
Yes, Saudi Arabia can bypass the Strait of Hormuz to ship oil from south of the strait, primarily by using the 746-mile East-West Pipeline (Petroline). This pipeline carries crude from its eastern oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, with a capacity to move roughly 5 million barrels per day.
No. of Recommendations: 2
This pipeline carries crude from its eastern oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, with a capacity to move roughly 5 million barrels per day. A bit more color, from the net sifter: exports through the Persian Gulf, by country:
Key Oil Exports via the Persian Gulf (approximate daily volumes):
Saudi Arabia: ~5.5 million b/d (mostly to Asia/Pacific).
Iraq: ~3.4 million b/d.
UAE: ~2.87 million b/d.
Kuwait: ~2.47 million b/d.
Iran: ~2.8 million b/d.
Qatar: ~700k b/dThe Red Sea is no cakewalk either. To avoid the Houthis, tankers would need to transit Suez from the Med, load, then back up through Suez.
Maersk is rerouting to avoid the Red Sea.
Rerouting of ME11 and MECL Service around The Cape of Good Hope
Due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East region following the escalating military conflict, we have decided – in close coordination with our security partners – to pause future Trans-Suez sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the time being.
Until further, all sailings on the ME11 (Middle East-India to Mediterranean) and MECL (Middle East-India to East Coast US) services will be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope. The safety of our crews, vessels and customers’ cargo remains our key priority and we will continue to monitor the situation closely and take all needed actions. We remain committed to minimising the impact on our customers’ supply chains and will continue to keep them updated on the situation. https://www.maersk.com/news/articles/2026/03/01/me...This would hurt Asian markets, a lot. If no-one wants to risk the Persian Gulf, or Gulf of Aden, they are restricted to obtaining oil from Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada, US, Venezuela.
Steve
No. of Recommendations: 0
At the moment, the Revolutionary Guard is trying to fight. This means going after them. It is not clear when that will end. The leadership is disappearing. The rank and file have to answer to the Iranian public. This is going to be over soon.
No. of Recommendations: 4
This is going to be over soon.
If it is over soon, then an equally hard line Shia will have emerged from their legislature and things will be pretty much the same.
If it devolves into Civil War it will not be over soon. See: Somalia, Yemen, Syria, etc.
No. of Recommendations: 18
This is going to be over soon.
This, or something like this, will remain front and center as long as the news continues to need to be distracted from the Epstein Files. The writing was on the wall from the very beginning. Never let a good crisis go to waste, even if you have to manufacture that crisis yourself.
IP
No. of Recommendations: 0
When our part in this is over, the protesters in Iran will run what remains of the current government out of power.
