Energy Security and Diplomacy: A Double- Edged Sword. The Case Study of Saudi Arabia and Iran

Abstract

Conflicts of energy security have consumed a large fraction of the global agenda and political debates in recent years. Traditionally, the insta- bility in the Middle East has been constructed by a weave of colonial grievances, ethnic and ideological conflicts, and the struggle for power. However, in the last 40 years, energy security and the fight for natural resources have surfaced, as oil became the main tool of economic and financial stability for the states. Furthermore, securing energy, and prac- ticing energy-related activities, whether economic or political is directly linked to the political stability in the Middle East and the security of oil supplies from this region, particularly the Gulf. The vulnerability of the all-energy sector can be defined as the soft spot of the developed world. Numerous Non-economic factors influence the oil market, particularly via terrorist attacks on strategic energy infrastructure in the Middle East. Conflicts and volatilities in oil-producing countries and regions have escalated due to external aggression. In a number of cases, terrorism and terrorist attacks were a byproduct of the energy threats among states. Thus, terrorist attacks warrant specific allusions as an extension to the established nexus between energy and traditional security.