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Your comment(s) are a perfect example of Trevanian's quote "Obtuseness was its own defense". We are not talking past each other; You are simply trying to play

Your comment(s) are a perfect example of Trevanian's quote "Obtuseness was its own defense". We are not talking past each other; You are simply trying to play "gotcha" games which i had to refute. I should also note that you have provided no sources of any kind. I have already pointed out that UAE's output before the war was in the region of 2.9-3.5 bpd (this is variable OPEC cap) with ADCOP carrying 1.5-1.8 bpd. A little math will tell you that ADCOP was carrying between 43% and 62% of the cap and so i had mentioned a approximate mean of 50%. I have seen reports which mentioned that sometimes it fluctuated between 32% and 66% (now even more higher) based on OPEC caps/Hormuz situation. I have also pointed out that ADCOP was constructed within 5 years and UAE has been working on Hormuz bypass options for well over a decade. Parallel pipelines would clearly not take as much time and we should easily see it by 2027/2028 since everything is being accelerated. UAE is being a responsible "world citizen" when it comes to the all essential Oil economy and hence i do not appreciate FUD being spewed when actual facts are easily available. Your last para are your fanciful opinions and have zero validity. The Iran conflict was simply a matter of "when" which just came to fruition now. As pointed out earlier, OPEC countries themselves were working on Hormuz bypass options for more than a decade. Iran has no friends in the Gulf region and hence UAE is fine; and whether you like it or not US/Israel are the only guarantors of security in the Gulf.

don_esteban 6mo ago
I will leave this one to shine on its own, there is really no need to add anything else: "whether you like it or not US/Israel are the only guarantors of security in the Gulf"
- rramadass 6mo ago
  Coincidentally, here is today's very relevant CNN article; Israel and the UAE find common cause as the Iran war cracks old Middle East alliances - https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/01/middleeast/israel-uae-middle-east-alliances-opec-intl https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/01/middleeast/israel-uae-mid... Israel has actually deployed its Iron Dome defense systems in UAE! This is in addition to the US defense systems already deployed. Q.E.D.
  - don_esteban 6mo ago
    If Israel and USA did not attack Iran, there would have not been any need for all the weaponry US is selling UAE. You see 'providing security', I see stirring instability and protection racket. Your Q.E.D. works only on yourself. You surely sound like heavily invested in UAE, and trying to convince yourself that all your investment is not going down the drain.
    - rramadass 6mo ago
      Again, both your understanding and logic are flawed. Israel/USA did not attack Iran out-of-the-blue for no reason. It was because of Iran's troublesome actions over past many decades that its neighbours decided to align with US/Israel for protection. Your use of fanciful terms like "protection racket" exposes your cluelessness of the subject i.e. the centrality of Oil to the world economy and stability. Finally, your last line is a silly one with no bearing to reality or this discussion. As i said, i do not like FUD/ignorance being spread on important topics.
      - don_esteban 6mo ago
        You can 'justify' the actions of Israel and USA, but in the same way Iran and others can 'justify' their actions. The fact is that USA has attacked Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, bombed Yemen and Syria. Add to that Israel's actions and the picture is rather clear. The 'justification' for a war against Iran is absurd - it would have had a bit of standing, if it had a chance to lead to stability in the region. However, it was absolutely clear to anybody who has at least a bit of understanding in regional and military matters that it will lead to major regional destruction and destabilization. And it did. And is still going on, with no end in sight. The end result is exactly opposite to the stated aims, and it has been rather obvious from the beginning. Yet, you stall parrot this absurd narrative. If I tell you that it is in your best interest to pay me for stuff that is going to protect you, and that I am going to settle in a room of your house to protect you from your neighbour. And then from that room I shoot at your neighbour, which provokes him to burn your house, which I have no way of stopping. Did I provide you security? Or you just paid a protection racket and got a burning house anyway? The last line was there, because I cannot imagine any other reason why would you repeatedly parrot obviously false narrative.

don_esteban 6mo ago

I will leave this one to shine on its own, there is really no need to add anything else: "whether you like it or not US/Israel are the only guarantors of security in the Gulf"

rramadass 6mo ago
Coincidentally, here is today's very relevant CNN article; Israel and the UAE find common cause as the Iran war cracks old Middle East alliances - https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/01/middleeast/israel-uae-middle-east-alliances-opec-intl https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/01/middleeast/israel-uae-mid... Israel has actually deployed its Iron Dome defense systems in UAE! This is in addition to the US defense systems already deployed. Q.E.D.
- don_esteban 6mo ago
  If Israel and USA did not attack Iran, there would have not been any need for all the weaponry US is selling UAE. You see 'providing security', I see stirring instability and protection racket. Your Q.E.D. works only on yourself. You surely sound like heavily invested in UAE, and trying to convince yourself that all your investment is not going down the drain.
  - rramadass 6mo ago
    Again, both your understanding and logic are flawed. Israel/USA did not attack Iran out-of-the-blue for no reason. It was because of Iran's troublesome actions over past many decades that its neighbours decided to align with US/Israel for protection. Your use of fanciful terms like "protection racket" exposes your cluelessness of the subject i.e. the centrality of Oil to the world economy and stability. Finally, your last line is a silly one with no bearing to reality or this discussion. As i said, i do not like FUD/ignorance being spread on important topics.
    - don_esteban 6mo ago
      You can 'justify' the actions of Israel and USA, but in the same way Iran and others can 'justify' their actions. The fact is that USA has attacked Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, bombed Yemen and Syria. Add to that Israel's actions and the picture is rather clear. The 'justification' for a war against Iran is absurd - it would have had a bit of standing, if it had a chance to lead to stability in the region. However, it was absolutely clear to anybody who has at least a bit of understanding in regional and military matters that it will lead to major regional destruction and destabilization. And it did. And is still going on, with no end in sight. The end result is exactly opposite to the stated aims, and it has been rather obvious from the beginning. Yet, you stall parrot this absurd narrative. If I tell you that it is in your best interest to pay me for stuff that is going to protect you, and that I am going to settle in a room of your house to protect you from your neighbour. And then from that room I shoot at your neighbour, which provokes him to burn your house, which I have no way of stopping. Did I provide you security? Or you just paid a protection racket and got a burning house anyway? The last line was there, because I cannot imagine any other reason why would you repeatedly parrot obviously false narrative.