Energy Politics: A Game Where Everyone Gets Cooked

Nobody seems entirely sure anymore why the war with Iran began—or, perhaps more accurately, the original reasons, if any, have been buried beneath the noise of everything that followed.

What began as a military confrontation has turned into an escalating contest of one-upmanship, where strategy and spectacle increasingly seem indistinguishable. And at the center of it all is Donald Trump, seemingly as interested in the theatrics of power as in its consequences.

European and NATO leaders seem like helpless bystanders. China watches from the sidelines, perhaps content to let its rivals exhaust themselves. The rest of the world, meanwhile, gets no seat at the table—but still receives the bill through rising oil prices, economic uncertainty and geopolitical instability.

And then there is Pakistan.

Its leadership appears determined to remain relevant to the drama, looking towards Trump with a mixture of admiration, deference and the hope of somehow finding a role in a conflict whose direction nobody can confidently predict.

The illustration captures this absurd theatre of geopolitics: Trump perched atop a giant earthen pot, gleefully holding a burning match and threatening to light it. Around him, European leaders look worried, confused and powerless. Below, the fire is already burning. Oil prices dance across the surface of the pot. And on the sidelines, Pakistan’s leadership looks up in awe at the man holding the match.

The irony, of course, is that the pot is already on fire—and everyone is getting cooked.

A related reflection

Before the world gets cooked, there is usually a grand display of those holding the matches. A Pageant of Power looks at the spectacle that often precedes the consequences.