Energy the Achilles’Heel of the West

By: Hamid Reza Naghashian

TEHRAN (Iran News) –Energy can be used as an effective weapon than any other weapon against the world hegemony and especially against the West who has always resorted to force and bully against countries, and countries which are rich in fossil fuel and energy can use this heavenly blessing as a weapon in fight with their enemies.

In recent r and especially during the Ukraine-Russia war, it was proved to the world that how the world is weak when it comes to the energy shortages and when some countries stop energy supply, how the nations will suffer.

In recent months, the Western countries have tried to show that they have overcome the energy shortage because of halt in Russia’s energy supply to Europe but the truth is otherwise and they know it better than anyone that it is difficult to stop dependence on fossil energy at least for a decade in order to find some proper replacement.

The halt in energy supply by Russia unbalanced the economies of many countries in any part of the world and it also led to high inflation rates and unemployment rate but the Western countries have tried to deceive their nations by making the role of energy cut insignificant in their economic conditions.

An expert study recently concludes energy poverty killed more people in Europe last winter than COVID-19. EU sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine have pushed up energy prices and created a cost of living crisis across the 27-country bloc.

Official data shows 59,700 people died with COVID 19 in 28 European nations last winter, however, a larger number, 68,000, died because they could not heat their homes.

This is just the amount of casualty which has been officially announced and the figure may stand higher than this but the Western governments have remained silent on this issue and they still continue their support for the Ukraine-Russia war.

This data once again shows the important role of energy in the daily life of the people and even their daily work and shortage in energy supply will have serious effects on the life of people.

Of course this data once again showed that those countries which are rich in energy can use it as a defensive weapon against arrogant countries and governments as we have seen it recent that many OPEC oil producers have resisted in increasing production to keep the oil price in the level that they one and not in the level that the U.S. and Western countries want.

On Saturday, President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran has warned against a Western plot to sow discord among the member states of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

 

“Certain Western countries are after disunity within OPEC. The member states need to prevent the realization of such goals by strengthening unity,” Raisi said in a meeting with OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al Ghais in Tehran on Saturday.

He said constructive interaction among the members is an important factor in OPEC’s success.

Referring to Iran’s constant “constructive” cooperation with OPEC, Raisi said the Islamic Republic was determined to improve interaction with the organization.

The Iranian president said OPEC has been established to “support the rights of oil producers and prevent discrimination against them.”

Iran’s crude oil production has remained at relatively low levels in recent years due in large part to U.S. sanctions.

As it was said earlier, the OPEC members have become wiser in recent months and they do not follow the policy of the arrogant states and they try to defend their rights and they determine the amount of oil or gas production and supply and not the big powers who uses to milk oil and gas producing countries and forcing then to increase or decrease the production.

Of course, countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia play important role in energy supply in the world and Saudis have shown their determination not to bow down to the U.S. pressure for its oil production because Riyadh has now come to its senses that it can play a better and stronger role in the world with its weapon of oil and it does not want to follow blindly what Washington says.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has triggered awakening among the nations in the world and this awakening is on the rise and it may be a great threat to the hegemony of the West and this is what the U.S. and its allies do not like and they will do anything to create a change in this current condition in the energy market and countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran are winners of this unanimous decision of the OPEC members that it does not want to please the West but it does only think of their own nations and they can use their energy as an effective weapon in confrontation with enemies.