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Energy Explained
Get the latest as our experts share their insights on global energy policy.
Live Updates: US-Israeli Attacks on Iran and Global Energy Impacts
On February 28, the US and Israel launched new attacks on Iran targeting primarily the country's leadership, security forces, and missile program.
Blog
by Anne-Sophie Corbeau, Erica Downs, Ira Joseph, Richard Nephew, Daniel Sternoff, Karen E. Young, Robin Mills & Neelesh Nerurkar • April 16, 2026
Podcasts
Hear in-depth conversations with the world’s top energy and climate leaders from government, business, academia, and civil society.
Ian Bremmer on Navigating a Fragmenting World
The global order that shaped the past several decades is giving way to a more fragmented and uncertain world. Long-standing alliances are under strain, economic integration is giving...
Podcast
Iran Conflict Brief: Ali Ansari on What’s Going on Inside Iran
April 6, 2026
Guest
Ali Ansari
Professor of Iranian History, University of St Andrews
On the eve of President Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the global energy landscape faces a moment of unprecedented risk. With dated Brent crude already surging past $140 a barrel, the threat of tit-for-tat infrastructure strikes looms over the region. In this episode, Daniel Sternoff speaks with Ali Ansari about what’s happening in Iran, how decisions are getting made, and how the regional energy landscape is being permanently reshaped.
The conversation delves into the fractured state of Iranian decision-making following the death of Khamenei and the rise of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as both a military and a corporate hegemon. Ali explains how the IRGC’s “mosaic defense” strategy has devolved operational command to local levels, creating a political system that struggles to coordinate even basic utilities like gas and water for its citizens.
Ali Ansari is a professor of Iranian history and the founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews. He is also a senior associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute and the author of multiple books on the politics of modern Iran.
More Episodes
Ian Bremmer on Navigating a Fragmenting World
The global order that shaped the past several decades is giving way to a more fragmented and uncertain world. Long-standing alliances are under strain, economic integration is giving...
Amos Hochstein on the Strait of Hormuz Opening and Where the War is Headed
It’s been a head-spinning day in the Iran war. Earlier today, following a temporary truce between Lebanon and Israel, Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be...
Iran Conflict Brief: Will the Ceasefire Hold? Analyzing Tehran’s High-Stakes Diplomacy
With an April 21 deadline looming, the Middle East remains suspended in a volatile state of war and peace. Regional mediators are scrambling to broker a second round...
Rajiv Shah on Advancing Universal Abundant Energy Access
Energy abundance means different things in today’s global context than it did even a decade ago. It is about expanding electricity access while meeting rising energy demand. It...
Relevant
Publications
Live Updates: US-Israeli Attacks on Iran and Global Energy Impacts
On February 28, the US and Israel launched new attacks on Iran targeting primarily the country's leadership, security forces, and missile program.
Blog
by Anne-Sophie Corbeau, Erica Downs, Ira Joseph, Richard Nephew, Daniel Sternoff, Karen E. Young, Robin Mills & Neelesh Nerurkar • April 16, 2026
Energy Disruptions in the Eastern Mediterranean from the US-Israel War with Iran
The Iran war has disrupted Eastern Mediterranean gas production, exports, and development, threatened regional energy infrastructure, and increased political and investment uncertainty.
Gulf Energy Disruption and the Fragility of Global Markets
The US-Israeli war against Iran highlights the Gulf’s dual role as the backbone of global energy supply and a major source of systemic risk.
Asia’s Gas Shock Playbook: Coal, Curtailment, and Competing for LNG
Almost 90 percent of the LNG that transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2025 was destined for Asian countries.
