Earth’s domination could be closer than you think. While the world is doing its best to maintain peace, a not-so-silent war has been waging between America and a team comprising Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. These parties have turned to drastic measures to gain control of the world’s most valuable revenues, implicating global economics and politics. Who will come out on top of this not-so-silent war, and what effects will it have on the rest of the world?
Sanctions to promote peace or impose domination?
One of the most enigmatic presidents has been keeping busy, with his sights set on the world’s most valuable revenue: oil. More specifically, the current US President, Donald Trump, is drawing up extensive sanctions for Russia, Iran, and Venezuela’s oil revenues. These three countries are some of the biggest oil exporters in the world, and sanctions could negatively impact the global economy and geopolitics.
The rest of the world would have to face a shift in trade patterns, disrupted supply chains, and higher oil prices. According to ScienceDirect, the latter would have a ripple effect on transportation costs, production costs, and even increased inflation (as if it is not high enough already) and staggering economic growth. Trump may have his reasons for these sanctions, but is it worth it?
Trump’s motives for the sanctions
Multiple US presidential administrations have had “disagreements” with these three countries, so Trump’s motives for oil sanctions might not be uncalled for. He wants to end the Russian war and address Venezuela’s anti-democratic turn. As for Iran, well… In an official White House statement, President Donald Trump had the following to say:
“As President, my highest priority is to ensure the safety and security of the United States and the American people. Since its inception in 1979 as a revolutionary theocracy, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has declared its hostility to the United States and its allies and partners; Iran’s nuclear program, including its enrichment- and reprocessing-related capabilities and nuclear-capable missiles, poses an existential danger to the United States and the entire civilized world.”
As the first step to renew his “maximum pressure campaign” against Iran, the US Department of the Treasury sanctioned an international maritime network that facilitates Iranian crude oil shipments to China, which is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This move will reportedly hinder Iran’s ability to obtain nuclear weapons. This sanction followed the first Trump administration’s guidelines from May 2020, which addressed illegal shipment and sanctions-evasion practices in the maritime, energy, and metals industries. Although it did not stop these three countries from teaming up, these practices include:
- False flags and flag-hopping
- Complex ownership or management structures, including utilizing shell entities
- Ship-to-ship transfers
A team that’s a mean, fighting machine to beat America
According to Kharon, during an investigation, a connected and secret fleet has been spotted shipping Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan petroleum despite the international sanctions. A whole team of ship owners, facilitators, and management companies seems to operate this secret fleet, and three Indian citizens are in the middle of it all. While these operations are not entirely sanctioned, the restricted exports seem to be shipped through shell companies.
The fact that it ticks all three of the US-banned illegal practices makes it very suspicious. Unfortunately, there are too many loopholes, and the fleet’s complex and dynamic web makes it increasingly difficult for regulators and the private industry to properly enforce and navigate sanctions against Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
As the US continues to not-so-silently wage its war with this sly team, many uncertainties remain among the rest of the world. First it was the Liberation Day tariffs, now this. Should we be bracing ourselves for an economic and energy crisis?
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