Oil stays in play: how the Iran war is reshaping energy diplomacy

The Mideast energy truce is breaking down as Iran targets gas and fuel infrastructure, prompting the US to consider easing sanctions on Iranian oil to curb global price spikes. The move underlines oil’s paradoxical role in modern warfare—wanted to keep flows steady even with hostilities—while echoes of Ukraine‑era price-management and debates over seizing versus destroying adversaries’ energy assets shape the decision. This dynamic complicates both military aims and global energy markets as the conflict intensifies.