The US Energy Shift and Its Consequences for the Middle East

The West’s attempted transition away from fossil fuels has given its adversaries an advantage. China dominates much of the green energy sector, and Russia continues to fund its war against Ukraine with oil and natural gas profits. Meanwhile, Iran has capitalized on this shift by using its oil revenues to bolster its regional influence, fund proxy militias, and strengthen ties with both Russia and China. The Trump administration has begun to reverse the energy policies that created this dangerous paradigm, but the United States will need the cooperation of its allies and partners—particularly in the Middle East—to regain its status as an energy superpower and weaken the Russia-China-Iran axis.

Dr. Brenda Shaffer, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and senior advisor for energy at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, will join Hudson’s Zineb Riboua to discuss the geopolitical implications of rising global energy competition, particularly for the Middle East.