A Case for Action: Destroy Iran’s Oil Industry NOW

The Strategic Necessity of Destroying Iran’s Oil Industry

Iran remains the single greatest destabilizing force in the Middle East. For decades, it has used its oil wealth to finance terrorism, fuel regional wars, and pursue nuclear ambitions that threaten not just Israel, but the entire world. While Iran’s nuclear program presents a formidable challenge due to its underground facilities, its oil infrastructure is far more vulnerable. By eliminating Iran’s ability to fund its malign activities, Israel and the United States can achieve a decisive victory in the struggle for Middle Eastern stability without needing a direct ground invasion.

I will lay out the case for why an immediate and total destruction of Iran’s oil industry is the best course of action, the predictive scenarios that would follow, and why this would ultimately lead to a more peaceful world in the middle to long term.

The Core Problem: Iran’s Oil Wealth Fuels Global Instability

Iran is not just a rogue state—it has been (and will continue as) the primary sponsor of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and various militias in Syria and Iraq. These groups are responsible for thousands of civilian deaths, attacks on U.S. forces, and ongoing wars across the region. It is also a constant provider of dangerous anti-Israel and anti-Jewish propaganda and disinformation.

The Only Reason Iran can Sustain this Terrorism Empire is its Massive Oil Revenue

Iran’s oil accounts for more than 80% of its export earnings. These funds are not used to improve the lives of Iranian citizens but to fund weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear development. Sanctions alone have not been enough to cut off Iran’s access to global oil markets. Creative smuggling to China and other black-market buyers will continue. By physically eliminating Iran’s oil production and export capabilities, the regime would be crippled financially, forcing it to abandon its expansionist ambitions and terrorist financing.

The Role of Global Geopolitics and Realpolitik: A Grand Bargain with Russia and China?

It is possible that the Oval Office blowup with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and American President Trump was preplanned by Trump and his team. I wonder and speculate that there could have been a closed-door Trump-initiated deal with Vladimir Putin, offering to throw Ukraine “under the bus” – and pressure them into painful concessions that would allow Russia to disengage from the war while saving face and retaining some territory. This would accomplish two goals: End the costly Ukraine war for Russia, allowing it to shift focus away from supporting Iran; and ensure that Russia does not intervene militarily or economically to assist Iran once its oil industry is destroyed.

Additionally, Trump may have made or will make a similar deal with China, acknowledging that China will eventually take Taiwan—something that many geopolitical analysts believe is inevitable. By accelerating this process in a controlled manner, Trump could secure an agreement in which China remains neutral and does not offer financial or military aid to Iran. China, with Iran removed as a major oil player, increases reliance on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Russia for energy. China secures its long-term strategic goal of absorbing Taiwan without triggering a catastrophic war.

This diplomatic maneuvering would isolate Iran completely, leaving it without allies, economic support, or weapons imports. An Iran without oil would have no money to buy anything and would become geopolitically irrelevant.

The Action Plan: How to Destroy Iran’s Oil Industry

It’s actually not all that complex and I have written on that part in a previous article. A joint Israeli American precision military and cyber operation would be highly effective in achieving this goal. Israel would likely also be able to pull this off solo. The strategy would likely include:

1. Airstrikes on Refineries & Processing Facilities: These are above ground and highly vulnerable to precision strikes. Without refineries, Iran cannot process crude oil into fuel, paralyzing its economy.
2. Destruction of Oil Export Terminals & Pipelines: Iran’s main oil ports (Kharg Island, Bandar Abbas, etc.) and critical pipelines must be destroyed to prevent any exports.
3. Cyber Warfare to Cripple Internal Oil Infrastructure: Iranian oil production relies on digital control systems that can be hacked and sabotaged, rendering its remaining capacity useless.
4. Naval Blockade & Maritime Disruption: Iran has limited options to export oil without its main terminals. A naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz could ensure total strangulation of its economy.
5. Covert Intelligence Operations: Using Mossad and CIA assets, Iran’s oil smuggling routes can be systematically shut down.

Predictive Scenarios: What Happens Next?

Immediate Economic Collapse in Iran (0-6 Months)

• Oil exports would fall to near zero, eliminating Iran’s largest source of foreign currency.
• The Iranian rial would collapse, causing hyperinflation and mass unemployment.
• Fuel shortages would paralyze Iranian transportation and infrastructure.
• Mass protests could break out against the regime, similar to those in 2019 and 2022, but at an even greater scale.
• The government would be forced to divert its remaining resources to internal security, weakening its ability to fund Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.

 Iran’s Proxy Network Begins to Crumble (6-12 Months)

• Hezbollah loses its primary financial backer, leading to further and total weakening in Lebanon.
• Hamas, already militarily devastated by Israel, would be completely financially abandoned.
• The Houthis in Yemen, lacking Iranian missiles and drones, would be defeated by the Saudi-led coalition.
• Iran’s influence in Syria, already mostly gone, will be final; and Iraq would rapidly decline, as it would lack the funds to sustain proxy militias.
• Qatar and Turkey, traditional supporters of Islamist factions, may attempt to fill the vacuum, but they lack the financial and military capabilities of Iran; and with the new “hands off policy” (Russia, China) – America is left with near exclusive leverage over both Turkey and Qatar.

Long-Term Global Benefits (1-5 Years)

• Israel and Saudi Arabia would emerge as the new stabilizing forces in the region, no longer facing constant Iranian-backed threats. The Abraham accords, with Iran gone, and Qatar kept in line, may proceed absent any immediate concessions around Palestinian statehood in either Gaza or in Judea-Samaria (West Bank).
• U.S. forces in the Middle East would be safer, as Iran’s capacity to attack them would be eliminated.
• Russia and China would struggle to fill the gap, as neither could provide Iran the sustained financial aid it would need to recover.
• Iran’s nuclear program would slow down or halt altogether, as the country’s economy collapses under its own weight.
• A weakened Iran would lead to internal political shifts, very likely the collapse of the theocratic regime, with the encouragement of America and its allies and the promise to rebuild the oil infrastructure for a new democratic, more secular government..
• The global oil market would stabilize under U.S. and Saudi-led control, reducing economic instability.

Conclusion: A Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity for Peace

By eliminating Iran’s oil industry, Israel and the United States can permanently neutralize Iran’s ability to fund terrorism, war, and nuclear ambitions. This action would not only protect Israel and stabilize the Middle East, but also reduce global threats to U.S. forces, prevent Iranian nuclear weapons development, and weaken hostile actors like China and Russia.

This is a decisive moment in history. The opportunity to strike Iran’s economic heart and reshape the geopolitical landscape should not be wasted. Now is the time to act.