Civil-War in Syria
Any military action against the Syrian government will have significant political risks for many
countries in the Middle East. Syria is considered a puppet-state to Iran, so any action against Syria will put
Iran on the defensive. Iran may strike back at Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain or the Emirates for their
perceived support of military action against Syria. These are all Sunni Muslim-ruled nations with large oil
reserves, while Iran is mostly Shiite Muslims. This Iranian retaliation will undoubtedly include attacks on these
nations’ oil fields, and production and distribution centers – trying to hurt them in a powerful financial way.
Many people in the intelligence community say the fighting in Syria has ramifications far beyond that nation’s
borders and they could spill into the oil market very quickly.
