Middle East tensions, shipping disruptions, Trump-Iran policy uncertainty fuel new energy crisis

Iran's leadership, including Parliament President Ghalibaf and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has explicitly threatened attacks on regional energy infrastructure in response to perceived US oil blockades and if its security is not guaranteed. This rhetoric, following Trump's UN speech and new US policy decisions, signals a potential escalation of the existing Iran-US energy standoff, with specific targets and timing remaining unclear. The threats align with Iran's asymmetric deterrence posture and are currently unverified but raise geopolitical risk in energy markets.