Geopolitical Proxy Wars and Colonial Energy Dependencies: How US-Iran Tensions Sustain Fossil Fuel Extraction and Global Energy Insecurity
Original framing: “Oil Markets Brace for Renewed Iran Fighting” — Bloomberg
The current tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran are rooted in a century of colonial interventions, including the 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran that overthrew Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and reinstalled the Shah. This coup was part of a broader pattern of Western powers manipulating Middle Eastern energy resources to their advantage, a strategy that continues today through sanctions, military interventions, and proxy wars. The 2003 Iraq War, justified on the basis of non-existent WMDs, further destabilized the region and created the conditions for prolonged conflict. Understanding these historical precedents is essential to grasping why energy insecurity persists despite the existence of alternative energy sources—it is not merely a product of 'fighting' but of systemic exploitation and control.
The narrative of 'renewed Iran fighting' obscures the systemic role of US-led geopolitical strategies in perpetuating energy insecurity, where conflict is not an exogenous risk but a structural outcome of colonial interventions, sanctions, and proxy wars.
Historical precedents like the 1953 coup and the Iraq War reveal how Western powers have manipulated Middle Eastern energy resources to maintain dominance, while marginalised voices—including Iranian women, youth, and indigenous groups—advocate for renewable energy as a tool for social justice and sustainability. Cross-culturally, energy security is often approached through collective governance and cultural identity, contrasting sharply with the Western framing of energy as a commodity to be exploited. Scientific evidence underscores the unsustainability of fossil fuel dependence, yet these insights are sidelined in favor of maintaining the status quo. Future modelling suggests that regional cooperation on renewable energy, coupled with global divestment from fossil fuels, could break the cycle of conflict and instability, offering a pathway to true energy sovereignty. The trickster perspective exposes the paradox of how the illusion of scarcity is perpetuated by those who profit from conflict, while decentralized energy governance models inspired by indigenous and community-based approaches provide a viable alternative to centralized control.