Iranian Official: Plans to Attack Crude Oil Export Facilities Aim to Hit Trump Ahead of U.S. Midterm Elections

Odaily Planet Daily News A senior Iranian official has stated that Tehran is planning to wage an economic war, including attacks on oil bypass export facilities in the Gulf region, with the aim of driving up U.S. gasoline prices and undermining the support rate of Trump's party ahead of the U.S. November midterm elections. According to the official's description, the targets of this plan will include two major alternative routes used by shippers to avoid the Strait of Hormuz: Saudi Arabia's Yanbu oil pipeline and the UAE's Fujairah oil terminal. Together, these two facilities handle approximately 5.5 million barrels of oil per day. If Iran simultaneously cuts off the roughly 5 million barrels per day of oil supply that the U.S.-backed "shadow fleet" currently transports through the Strait of Hormuz, a successful operation would weaken a significant portion of the alternative transport capacity—the very channels that have sustained some Gulf oil exports amid broader blockade conditions. Given that Brent crude prices are already near $93 per barrel under the current tense situation, any credible action targeting Yanbu or Fujairah could be perceived by traders as a shock far larger than previous supply disruptions. (Jinshi)