The Supreme Leader’s initial reaction has sent discouraging signals about Iran’s willingness to comply with its commitments in the long term. As expected, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s reaction to the nuclear deal was utterly different from that of President Hassan Rouhani. Right after the agreement was announced on July 14, Rouhani appeared on state television and… Keep reading →
On July 14, 2015, the P5+1 nations (United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran announced that they had agreed upon a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the IEA, said at a recent conference that the US will not become the “next Saudi Arabia”, despite its position among the world’s top oil producers. “US oil production increased significantly and is due to continue to increase. This is excellent news for the United States and world oil… Keep reading →
Prior to Apple taking the developed world with its innovative products by storm and critically shaping the digital age as we now know it, computer users often used to defrag(ment) their hard drives manually. Basically, the process of ‘defragmentation’ meant to reduce the amount of fragmentation within a system for maintenance purposes “by physically organizing… Keep reading →
It’s that time of the year again when world leaders, CEOs, thought leaders, power brokers and dignitaries from business and politics alike descend on the small Swiss ski resort of Davos for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2015. This year’s gathering is scheduled for January 21-24 and Davos is sure to be bursting at… Keep reading →
The Russian economy is heavily dependent on oil – prices of which have been falling precipitously – and sanctions imposed by western governments in retaliation for Russia’s aggressive action in Ukraine are putting extreme pressure on the country’s currency. There is concern the Russian government and/or Russian companies lack sufficient currency reserves to pay debt… Keep reading →
News coverage of the Arctic has been steadily growing in tandem with the rising importance of the region in recent years. The focus of international politics often tends to revolve around energy security within the context of a global scramble for resources to keep individual countries’ economic growth engines humming. In view of the possibilities… Keep reading →
Majid Jafar, CEO of Crescent Petroleum, suggests in an article titled “What can the Middle East learn from the US shale boom?” three ways for regional policymakers to bring interconnectivity to the Middle East’s oil and gas market as well as accompanying infrastructure. These steps are intended – in his words – to “unleash a… Keep reading →
Geopolitical turmoil and security threats in major producing regions are never good for oil market stability, and while global benchmark oil prices have been cruising through an historic range-bound lack of volatility for an extended period, geopolitical headwinds show no sign of abating in the near term according to Barclays’ research. The bank forecasts 2014 Brent… Keep reading →
Western sanctions against strategic portions of Russia’s economy are ratcheting up in the aftermath of a passenger jet crash in a section of Eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian-supported rebels. The Malaysian jet was brought down by a surface-to-air missile that appears to have been supplied by Russia to rebels operating in the region who are… Keep reading →
