The Gulf stare down continues
Tension between the nations is high, but war doesn't appear to be on the cards, despite escalating Saudi rhetoric
"Saudi Arabia has the right to defend itself and take what measures it deems appropriate to do so," wrote a columnist in the influential Saudi daily al-Riyadh in February. The article was headlined: "What if a Saudi rocket was launched towards Tehran?". The author was commenting on the interception of missiles fired by Houthis in Yemen towards targets inside Saudi Arabia. The Saudis accuse Iran of supplying the rockets and instructing the Houthis in their use. There's no indication that Saudi Arabia plans to retaliate by firing missiles at Iran. But the rhetoric from the Saudi side has gone up a gear. Things are beginning to look dangerous. In the view of Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of
Also in this section
21 February 2025
While large-scale planned LNG schemes in sub-Saharan Africa have faced fresh problems, FLNG projects are stepping into that space
20 February 2025
Greater social mobility means increased global demand for refined fuels and petrochemical products, with Asia leading the way in the expansion of refining capacity
19 February 2025
The EU would do well to ease its gas storage requirements to avoid heavy purchase costs this summer, with the targets having created market distortion while giving sellers a significant advantage over buyers
18 February 2025
Deliveries to China decline by around 1m b/d from move to curb crude exports to Shandong port, putting Iran under further economic pressure
