If Iran really does this, it would be going too far! On July 15, according to Tasnim News Agency, Iran warned that in response to the U.S. Navy's blockade of Iran’s energy exports, Iran might take action to shut down additional oil and gas export routes. Iranian officials stated that the Fujairah pipeline in the UAE and the East-West pipelines in Saudi Arabia could become targets, declaring, "Either everyone exports oil and gas, or no one does."

Clearly, facing America's renewed aggression, Iran seems desperate. Closing the Strait of Hormuz might be seen as a last resort to pressure the U.S., but now threatening to target both the UAE's Fujairah pipeline and Saudi Arabia's East-West pipelines is truly excessive. The situation is obvious: blocking the Strait of Hormuz could be negotiated and lifted at any time.

If Iran actually attacks Saudi Arabia and the UAE's energy pipelines, it would deal a massive blow to global energy supply. These two pipelines are the two core alternative routes in the Middle East bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. The Saudi East-West pipeline has a peak capacity of 7 million barrels per day, while the UAE's Fujairah pipeline can transport 1.8 million barrels per day. Together, their combined capacity approaches one-third of the total oil shipping volume through the Strait of Hormuz. If either were attacked and crippled, global crude oil markets could collapse instantly.

In such a scenario, the impact on the United States would be severe, but so too would be the repercussions for countries worldwide—including our own energy supply. If Iran actually carries out such actions, it would effectively be at war with the entire world. Why haven’t countries like Saudi Arabia taken direct action? Because they still hold back. But if Iran escalates the conflict and targets the most critical assets of nations like Saudi Arabia, there’s a real risk that Saudi Arabia could fully align with the U.S. Clearly, although Iran’s statements are merely warnings, should they turn into actual military moves, Iran itself may suffer irreversible losses.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870758025612297/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.