Central Asia & Caucasus Data

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, a former fracking executive, was accused on Tuesday of manipulating global markets after he posted a striking claim on social media. The American Navy, he wrote, had “successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil remains flowing.” The post on X was deleted minutes later, after “oil prices slid at The post US energy chief’s deleted Hormuz X post called market manipulation appeared first on Asia Times.

TOKYO — Whether US President Donald Trump cries “uncle” on the Iran war tomorrow or it drags on, the economic damage is already done on several fronts. For the globe’s top economic powers, the idea of returning to some semblance of normalcy is easier said than done. The ever-festering risk of Iranian retaliation will now The post Trump’s Iran war and the dollar damage done appeared first on Asia Times.

Iran’s announcement of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s replacement after his death by US-Israeli bombing came at an unexpectedly rapid pace. Within days, the Assembly of Experts appointed his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as supreme leader — a smooth transition, at least in theory. But the speed of that decision raises a question far more intriguing than who The post Does Iran’s new supreme leader actually matter? appeared first on Asia Times.

The Iranian Revolution of 1979 reshaped the political landscape of the Middle East, replacing Iran’s Western-backed leader with an Islamic Republic. It transformed modern political extremism. Now, more than 40 years later, the Israeli–US attacks have killed the country’s supreme leader, creating the possibility of regime change. It reminds us these fault lines are far The post From Marx to mosque: how Iran reshaped global extremism appeared first on Asia Times.