Back to All Media Here’s How Savvy U.S. Energy Policy Can Play to U.S. Strength by Michael E. Webber Twenty years ago, when I worked at a think tank, I led a study on energy and national security for the Pentagon. One of our big conclusions was that Russia would use energy exports to extract foreign policy concessions from Europe, and Iran would use its energy resources to finance weapons systems and threaten its neighbors. The most significant discrete energy security risks we found were closures of the Strait of Hormuz or debilitating attacks on major refineries in Saudi Arabia or other critical infrastructure in the region, which would cause global energy prices to surge while propagating instability. Share Article Twenty years ago, when I worked at a think tank, I led a study on energy and national security for the Pentagon. One of our big conclusions was that Russia would use energy exports to extract foreign policy concessions from Europe, and Iran would use its energy resources to finance weapons systems and threaten its neighbors. The most significant discrete energy security risks we found were closures of the Strait of Hormuz or debilitating attacks on major refineries in Saudi Arabia or other critical infrastructure in the region, which would cause global energy prices to surge while propagating instability.