Oil: Geopolitics vs Fundamentals

You might like:

1. The Smoke and Mirrors Effect of Lebanese Banks Exiting Syria
   

   The Syrian economy is growing again and banks that stayed through the war are waiting to capitalize on Syria’s peace dividend. Lebanese banks should be the best placed, but some are leaving the market because Washington has upped the ante against Hezbollah’s global financial enterprise....

2. Syria’s Fragile Peace: Sectarian Clashes and the Struggle for Control
   

   Summary: recent deadly clashes between the Sunni Muslim-led government and Druze militias, triggered by a fake audio clip insulting the Prophet Mohammad, highlight the fragile sectarian tensions in post-civil war Syria....

3. Palestine: French initiative
   

   Summary: France proposes a conference in Paris, and will recognise the Palestine state if it fails. Responses not enthusiastic....

4. Iran’s Grand Strategy
   

   Summary: the West misunderstands Iran's strategic calculations, viewing them through the outdated lens of the 1979 Revolution rather than its current focus on anti-imperialism and strategic deterrence. Iran's foreign policy, heavily influenced by the IRGC and its post-Iraq War "sacred defence" narrative, prioritises opposing American hegemony and securing its regional position through a "siege mentality" and tactical flexibility, including its nuclear program....