This Sept. 20, 2019, photo shows the damage at Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant following attacks six days before. There is a method to Iran's ostensible madness in attacking a prominent U.S. ally like Saudi Arabia.
The Sept. 14 attacks on Saudi oil facilities highlight how quickly the Middle East's conflicts can threaten global energy markets, underscoring the new reality that Saudi oil production is not immune to external geopolitical forces and that its oil customers can no longer count on uninterrupted access to the country's oil exports. Meanwhile, regional and global powers like the United States face difficult choices in responding to provocative behavior without igniting a broader conflict. Why has Iran attacked Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure when it risks sparking a conflict more damaging than the sanctions it faces and undermines the goodwill necessary for a future deal? In response to unprecedented sanctions on its oil and gas sector, Iran is escalating attacks on oil and energy assets in the Persian Gulf using a brinkmanship strategy that aims to force the United States to shift its policies.
