Energy analyst Om Omid Shokri Kalhassar discusses the June 2019 tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, saying attribution to Iran isn't yet possible and calling for an international investigation. Oil prices rose 4% after the attacks but he expects them to fall due to oversupply. The strait is critical for China, India, and Japan's oil imports.
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Now addressing a news conference in Washington, Mike Pompeo said the unprovoked attacks are a threat to international peace and security. Let's get some analysis. Omid Shokri Kalhassar is a Washington-based energy and security analyst. He's also a visiting research scholar at George Mason University, and he joins us now for more. And now, thank you for joining us here at TRT World. Pompeo very confident that Iran is behind the attack, but What can the US do now? What can they do next if they prove that Iran is behind these attacks? Tehran is already under terrible economic sanctions.
Thanks for having me. I should say that at present, it is very hard to say that which country or which military group are behind the attack. It needs more investigation by international organizations. And after such investigation by international organizations, we can say that which country or which military group is under this— behind this attack. At present, Iran, as you mentioned, is under sanction, and Iran economy is going down every day. And we have many— political trip made by politicians from many countries, from Iraq, from Switzerland, from Germany, from Japan. They tried to— they later tried to be mediator between Iran and U.S. But as we see today, Shinzo Abe met with Iranian Supreme Leader, but his effort to be mediator between Iran and U.S. was failed. And at present, we have no problem in world oil market. After today's attack, oil price increased by 4%. But as we have oversupply in the oil market, I think in the, in the coming days, the price goes down and we have to see— we can see such major change in oil price.
And tell us more about the area where this incident took place. This is one of the world's busiest oil routes.
Could you please repeat your question again?
Tell us more about the area where the incident took place. This is one of the world's busiest oil routes.
I have to say that the security in the region which Omid Shokri, major oil producer, located Iran is the power of major oil importers from the region, such as China, India, and Japan. Any insecurity in the countries or in the region which produce oil or in the routes such as Strait of Hormuz, it is against this country's national security and economic growth and also energy security. And after today's attack to oil tankers, The countries feel a very bad situation because this— if such activity continues in coming days or coming weeks, and these countries' economic growth and energy security and national security will be threatened majorly, and their economy will face major crisis if these attacks continue in coming weeks or coming months.
Okay. Thanks so much for that. Omid Shokri, Al-Hassar, Washington-based energy and security analyst.
