Is Putin About To Deal His Long-Awaited Deathblow To The EU Economy

Is Putin About To Deal His Long-Awaited Deathblow To The EU Economy

Andrew Korybko

He just ordered that some of Russia’s LNG exports to the EU be redirected to Asia, and if the EU doesn’t coerce Zelensky into giving him giving him more of what he wants in Ukraine, then there’d be no reason for him to not cut off Russia’s exports to them entirely for catalyzing a full-blown crisis.

The EU agreed late last year to end Russian LNG imports by 31 December 2026 and pipeline gas imports by 30 September 2027, with the possibility of extending the deadline till 31 October 2027 in case storage levels are below their required filling levels. 

This was done because “The US Weaponized Russophobic Paranoia & Energy Geopolitics To Capture Control Of Europe”, ergo why it encouraged this decision so as to then monopolize the bloc’s energy market in tandem with its Qatari ally, another LNG superpower.

Everything changed with the Third Gulf War, which began with joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran and has since seen Iran retaliate against all of the Gulf Kingdoms on the basis that the US infrastructure on their territories is being used in attacks against the Islamic Republic. The Strait of Hormuz is now effectively closed and the Gulf Kingdoms are scaling back energy production due to nearly reaching their storage capacity. Importantly, Qatar is also shutting down its gas liquefication, which will take weeks to restart.

With the impending global energy crisis in mind, Putin announced last week that he ordered his government to look into the possibility of redirecting European energy exports to Asia since they’re more profitable and won’t soon stop importing Russian energy completely like the EU will. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak then confirmed shortly thereafter that the decision was just made to redirect some (keyword) LNG exports from Europe to friendly countries such as India and China.

The scenario of Russia cutting off gas exports to the EU before the EU cuts off its gas imports from Russia is still on the table, but Putin seems more interested in leveraging this possibility in furtherance of his strategic goals than eschewing such an opportunity just to punish his Western adversaries. To that end, Novak’s confirmation that he decided to redirect some LNG exports from Europe to Asia can be seen as proof of Putin’s intent, but he’s also signaling interest in reconsidering if certain conditions are met.

It’s at this moment when the EU is facing an economic crisis caused by the Third Gulf War taking the region’s energy exports offline that the bloc must decide whether it will coerce Zelensky to give Putin at least some of what he wants in exchange for him not redirecting LNG exports from them to Asia. The US might help them with this too so as to maintain the purchasing power of one of its largest markets. If they fail to do so, however, then Putin might finally deal a long-awaited deathblow to the EU economy.

The Oil War Has Begun: U.S. And Iran Target Energy Lifelines

The Oil War Has Begun: U.S. And Iran Target Energy Lifelines

PNW STAFF

War has many fronts—land, air, sea, and cyberspace. But in the past 72 hours, the conflict between the United States and Iran appears to have opened a new and potentially more dangerous front: oil itself.

What began primarily as strikes on military bases, missile facilities, and command centers has shifted dramatically toward energy infrastructure. 

Oil depots, refineries, tanker routes, and export hubs are now being targeted across the Middle East. The message from both sides is clear: if you cannot defeat your enemy quickly on the battlefield, you can still damage them—and the world—through the price of energy.

The result is a rapidly escalating “oil for oil” war, where each side seeks to disrupt the other’s energy lifeline.

The Fires Over Tehran

One of the most striking images of the war so far came this week when massive flames lit the night sky over Tehran after strikes hit major fuel storage facilities. Witnesses described enormous columns of fire and smoke rising from the city’s oil depots after multiple storage tanks and fuel transfer facilities were hit.

These depots were reportedly tied to Iran’s military fuel supply network, but the symbolism was unmistakable: Iran’s energy backbone had been placed directly in the crosshairs.

It marked a turning point in the war. 

Iran Strikes Back at the Oil Network

Iran did not take long to retaliate—and it did so in a way designed to send shockwaves through global markets.

Rather than focusing solely on U.S. forces, Iranian attacks have increasingly targeted the broader energy network of American allies across the region.

In the past week alone, at least five major oil-related incidents have highlighted this new strategy:

Drone attack on the Ras Tanura refinery in Saudi Arabia, one of the kingdom’s largest oil processing hubs. Even limited damage forced temporary shutdowns and rerouting of exports.

Missile and drone strikes across Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, including energy infrastructure linked to oil exports.

Attacks on ports and tankers near Oman, including oil tanker strikes that killed or injured crew members and disrupted shipping routes.

Drone and missile launches toward Gulf energy facilities, including infrastructure tied to exports in the UAE and neighboring states, forcing shutdowns and raising regional security alerts.

Missile strike on Bahrain’s BAPCO oil refinery, which triggered fires and emergency response operations at one of the island nation’s key petroleum facilities.

The result is not simply battlefield damage. It is a deliberate attempt to weaponize global energy markets.

Oil Prices Are Already Surging

The strategy is working.

Oil prices have already jumped dramatically since the conflict intensified. Global benchmarks have surged as markets price in the possibility of prolonged supply disruptions across the Persian Gulf.

Analysts now warn that if disruptions worsen—especially if shipping slows through the Strait of Hormuz—oil could spike dramatically as a large share of global supply moves through that narrow passage.

That chokepoint is critical: nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply moves through the Strait each day.

Even partial disruptions have already rattled global markets and triggered warnings about sustained energy volatility.

In other words, the war’s newest battlefield may be thousands of miles from Tehran or Washington—but it is already hitting the global economy.

Islamic Militants Turn To Christ In Nigeria Amid Violence, Film Shows

Islamic Militants Turn To Christ In Nigeria Amid Violence, Film Shows (Worthy News In-Depth)

Stefan J. Bos

A growing number of Islamic militants are abandoning terrorism and turning to the Christian faith in Nigeria, one of the world’s most dangerous countries for Christians, according to a new documentary by a global mission group.

Youth With A Mission (YWAM) produced the film “GO Africa: Skyboy and the Woman of Honor,” portraying both the brutality of extremist violence and what missionaries describe as stories of repentance among militants who abandoned violence and healing among widows of murdered pastors.

The production includes testimonies from former child soldiers who describe how they “surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ” after encounters with missionaries and local believers.

The project also honors the wives of pastors beheaded in northern Nigeria. Up to 150 widows reportedly travel to a YWAM base every six months to receive counseling, prayer support, and trauma care.

Its release comes amid renewed international attention on Nigeria after U.S. President Donald J. Trump redesignated the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious persecution.

TRUMP ORDERS STRIKES IN NIGERIA

In late 2025, Trump ordered U.S. airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Nigeria and earlier warned that military action could follow continued attacks on Christians.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years,” Trump announced on Christmas Day, December 25.

He added: “I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes.”

The strikes targeted Islamic State-linked militants in Sokoto State in north-western Nigeria, according to U.S. Africa Command.

FILM DEPICTS VIOLENCE

The documentary depicts the harsh realities facing Christian communities in parts of Nigeria where militant attacks have devastated villages and churches.

Mission workers featured in the film recount communities where pastors were killed, churches burned, and families displaced by extremist violence.

“Many churches and pastors were killed and the wives left without their husbands, who were beheaded,” Rachel Dangtoudma explains in the documentary, available online on platforms such as YouTube.

Her husband, Paul Dangtoudma, who moved from Burkina Faso to help establish a mission base in Nigeria, recalls that the region where they began working was widely considered too dangerous for outsiders.

“When God called us to go to that place, it was a no-go zone full of violence. A lot of people lost their lives there. Many villages were destroyed. Young people lost their lives. There was a lot of chaos,” Dangtoudma recounts.

STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION

Yet alongside these accounts of violence, the documentary highlights testimonies of militants who later renounced extremism and embraced Christianity.

Mission workers describe encounters in which former attackers sought forgiveness from widows whose husbands had been killed during assaults on churches.

One missionary recalls meeting roughly 6,000 widows whose husbands, many of them pastors, were slain in attacks on Christian communities.

The documentary also shows how some fighters later joined discipleship training programs and began participating in evangelistic outreach or church leadership.

Several graduates of YWAM programs have gone on to serve as pastors, worship leaders, or Christian workers in Nigeria and elsewhere, despite ongoing deadly violence in the African nation.

NIGERIA DEADLIEST FOR CHRISTIANS

Christian advocacy group Open Doors identifies Nigeria as one of the most dangerous places in the world for believers.

Nigeria ranks 7th on the Open Doors World Watch List, which tracks the 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.

The organization estimates that 3,490 Christians were killed for their faith in Nigeria during the latest reporting period, out of 4,849 worldwide, meaning most faith-related killings occurred in the African nation.

Violence has been concentrated in parts of northern and central Nigeria, including Borno, Kaduna, Plateau, and Benue states, where militants and armed bandits have repeatedly attacked villages and churches.

The film “GO Africa” is directed by David L. Cunningham, the son of YWAM founder Loren Cunningham and an American filmmaker known for producing faith-based and historical films.

APOCALYPTIC SCENES AS US AND ISRAEL BOMB OUTSIDE TEHRAN

APOCALYPTIC SCENES AS US AND ISRAEL BOMB OUTSIDE TEHRAN

Joe Hoft

Treasury Secretary Bessent said the US would hit hard overnight, and he meant it.

CRAZY FOOTAGE  Apocalyptic scenes coming out of Tehran right now

Tehran right now. If you’re wondering who’s winning, you can just believe what you see

Breaking… Northern Tehran is burning tonight

Video circulating across multiple sources shows a massive inferno ripping through the Aqdasiyeh oil depot in northern Tehran. Towering flames… thick black smoke… and explosions echoing across one of the most affluent districts of the Iranian capital. Independent journalists and OSINT analysts are all sharing the same footage from different angles… which means this is not propaganda or AI fabrication. It is real. And it is strategic. Energy infrastructure is the bloodstream of a regime’s war machine. Strike the fuel… you slow the missiles. Strike the depots… you choke the logistics. Strike the energy grid… you weaken the entire system. Aqdasiyeh was not widely known for oil storage in older public records… but the pattern is unmistakable. Earlier strikes hit facilities tied to fuel distribution across Tehran, including the Shahran depot. Now the fires have reached deep into the capital.

China relies heavily on Iranian oil flowing east through a fragile web of sanctions evasion, shadow fleets, and backchannel supply chains. When depots burn in Tehran… supply chains tremble in Beijing. Every explosion in Iranian energy infrastructure sends shockwaves through the strategic calculus of the Chinese Communist Party. This is not just a regional strike. It is a signal. The war machine that fuels Tehran’s proxies is being targeted at its source. And when the source burns… the entire network feels the heat.

It Begins: Iranian Drone Strikes Bahrain Desalination Plant As Worst-Case Scenario Unfolds

It Begins: Iranian Drone Strikes Bahrain Desalination Plant As Worst-Case Scenario Unfolds

TYLER DURDEN

From data centers in the Gulf area to water desalination plants, the worst-case scenario is now unfolding in the Middle East conflict, with no boundaries regarding civilian infrastructure.

We warned earlier last week, after correctly predicting that data centers would be targeted, that water desalination plants would be next (see the previous update). 

Al Jazeera reports that after Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi claimed the US targeted a water desalination plant in Iran, an IRGC kamikaze drone then targeted a desalination plant in Bahrain.

Bahrain says an Iranian strike damaged a desalination plant, marking a new phase of the conflict targeting water infrastructure.

Gulf countries rely heavily on desalination. Qatar nearly 100%, Kuwait and Bahrain ~90%, Oman 86%, Saudi Arabia 70%. The strike came after U.S./Israeli airstrikes targeted Iran's desalination plant on Qeshm Island.

Al Jazeera also outlined the importance of water desalination plants to the Gulf region:

• GCC states hold about 60% of global desalination capacity and produce around 40% of the world's desalinated water through more than 400 plants.

• Most GCC countries rely heavily on desalination: 90% of Kuwait's drinking water, 86% in Oman, 70% in Saudi Arabia, and 42% in the UAE.

• Saudi Arabia is the world's largest producer, with capacity projected to reach 8.5 million cubic meters per day by 2025 after $80 billion in investments.

Bahrain's Ministry of Interior wrote on X, "The Iranian aggression randomly bombs civilian targets and causes material damage to a water desalination plant following an attack by a drone." 

First we warned that data centers would become drone targets, and then IRGC strikes hit Amazon AWS and Microsoft-linked AI infrastructure across the Gulf. Next, we flagged water desalination plants as another target. Now, with reports that a desalination facility in Iran has been struck, it is increasingly clear that this conflict has no boundaries when it comes to civilian infrastructure.

On Saturday morning, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi took to X and claimed that U.S. military forces had "committed a blatant and desperate crime by attacking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island."

"Water supply in 30 villages has been impacted. Attacking Iran's infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences. The U.S. set this precedent, not Iran," Araghchi said.

RGC targeting of the data centers is another way of Tehran telling Gulf states aligned with the U.S. that the regime can turn off their AI data centers. Let's just hope the IRGC does not become enraged enough and begin signaling to Gulf states that it can turn off the region's water. That would be a worst-case scenario and spark humanitarian emergencies for millions of people.