What's the possibility of Saudi Arabia and Iran going to

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>>1049635
I can only say "wait and see". I, despite being heavily invested in oil, am rather liking the reduced costs of living everywhere.

Consider that Saudi will probably find an alternative route to get the oil to sea, given the money involved. That, or simply guard the fuck out of its oil exports.

Pic related: from a holiday I took to this area.

>>1049635
Oman Oman Oman

>>1049635
>skyrocket

mabye go to $50 kek

The oil fields in Saudi Arabia are where the Shia minority lives.

Iran should get the Saudi Shia to start sabotaging oil pipelines.

Which will raise oil prices and cut Saudi production. Win win for Iran.

>>1051198
Please, based Iran.

>>1049635
The UAE has said before they'd be more than willing to build pipelines for the Saudis to bypass the strait.

>>1049635

maybe like 1%

>>1049646
The Saudis are going to open ARMACO to investors. This might be something.
>>1049635
Iran is looking more like the future American ally in the Middle East. Unless the American love the derka derka groups and using them to further American strategy in the region. Just like the British did in the past.

>>1051568
The GOP will never let that happen. One of our candidates literally wants to give the Saudis nukes, just so Iran has a deterrent, and nobody said that was a bad idea.

>>1051576
Arming and financing both sides is the US strategy. The US foreign policy is an echo of British colonial policy back in the days of the empire. Control through destabilization and funding groups opposing your goals to create panic and order. This is looking like the US grand strategy in the Middle East.

>>1051588
>>1051576
Britbong here.

We sold over £1billion in weaponry to the Saudis last quarter. They're our best customer.
N-nothing could possibly go wrong here!

>>1051568

The talk of an Aramco IPO is the canary in the coal mine that things are FAR worse in KSA than anyone (especially them) wants to admit.

Think of this... a kingdom sitting on an ocean of oil. The oil is all theirs to do with as they will. The money is all theirs to do with as they will.

An Aramco IPO means KSA giving up control and giving up money.

My point... if things were going well, there would be no reason to sell off the industry. The fact that they are considering an IPO means things are so bad, they're willing to give it all up in exchange for cash now.

>>1051666

What if they IPO and retain like 90% of shares, wait for everyone to rush to buy it since it's such a big name then sell theirs for way more than they should be worth?

>>1051670

The decision has more to do with the dangerous financial situation in KSA.

According to an IMF report of October 2015, if they continue to spend as they are now, KSA will run out of cash in 5 years.

This IPO is a sign of weakness.

>>1051673

Fair point.

It will come across as a reluctant money grab.

It is politically bad. Even if they might make some money doing it.

>>1051673
5 whole years?
Man... that sucks. I hoped they'd enter the red in one or two.

>>1051689

Ok... long reply...

1. KSA bases it's entire economy on bribing its citizens with oil money. The subsidize gas at around 10 cents per gallon, they don't charge citizens tax, and they hand out piles of money to citizens and various organizations every year.

2. In other words, they have a MASSIVE burn rate. When they can no longer make money on oil, they start burning through cash.

3. According to a September 2015 IMF report, the break-even for Saudi Oil (when you factor in government hand-outs), was $160/barrel in 2014. (this is up from $69/barrel in 2010, which shows you how much saudi expenses are accelerating)

4. Not being the brightest people, I gather no one has ever taught them about the demand curve, which would have told them they could make more money by cutting supply than by over producing.

5. Combine this financial mess with this... because they have forced the price down, that has also lowered the price that their neighbors can charge for THEIR oil.

6. Iran is already pissed of with them over religious issues, even more so now that the saudis are taking the food out of their mouths.

7. The other arab nations have hated KSA forever, but they haven't done anything because they operate under the protection of the US.

8. By IPO'ing Aramco, aside from the cash they get, it is an attempt to internationalize the kingdom... those who buy the share having a vested interest in keeping the status quo (aka: the current royal family).

Bottom line... KSA is screwed.

>>1051198
If I was a billionaire I'd buy a shit ton of oil futures and then I'd give a couple millions to fund terrorists. kek would ensue

>>1051703
Exactly! Five years seems like far too long.

Like other wealthy Gulf states, the Arabs never do real work themselves. They give real jobs to Indians and Pakistanis. Their entire economy is based upon oil and oil products, and yet they have been the cause of the recent downfall in oil prices.

This clearly isn't there intended end-state, so what's next?

>>1051746
That is how it already works. War is a racket.

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>>1049635
If Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, the US 5th Fleet will just plow right through it to open it back up. A no fly zone would be establish into UAE/Iranian territory and there would be a ton. of butthurt. US Air Force out of Qatar would bomb Iranian coastal positions. Don't count on the Gulf States sitting by either. Tons of economic revenue would be at stake. Kuwaiti F-18s, UAE F-16 Block 60's, Qatari Mirages and Saudi F-15's would also bombard Iranian costal positions. US and Gulf States would not be the only ones with interest with the access of the Strait. It would likely turn into a NATO issue. Iran would stand 0% chance of holding the Strait for more than a few hours, and the consequences of the systemic destruction of their conventional military would be devastating.

>>1049635
I have a friend who works in the british government's risk advisory service:
"we're stoking a sunni shia war, finally russia took the bait"

I have another as ex russian gvmt:
"divide and conquer is a benefit to us all now"

YES, it'll be in the latter part of the year, but mostly proxy; yeman, syria, bahrain, lebanon then saudi civil war will kick off.

>>1051968
This.

>>1051968

OH SNAP

>>1051968

Why do you know which type of fighter jet each gulf state owns? Seriously.

>>1052950
It's my job.

>>1053021

Army or intelligence?