NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Persian Gulf expert says the war in Iran threatens the world economy and that colleagues in the region call it a "nightmare."
MTSU Professor Sean Foley, a professor of Middle Eastern politics and history who has lived in Saudi Arabia and written books about the region, discussed the conflict on Inside Politics.
"This is a dangerous moment and an important economic moment given how many people in the world are impacted by this," Foley said.
Foley said while the United States has badly damaged Iran, the country still has the power to use drones to bomb oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the region that produce much of the world's oil.
President Trump has said the U.S. produces enough of its own oil not to be impacted, but Foley said Asia and Africa are already seeing major shortages.
As they pay more for oil, the price for everyone goes up.
"We have a different set of economic circumstances than the rest of the world, but it will hit the rest of the world and I don't need to tell anybody watching this has hit our oil and gas in a significant way," Foley said.
Foley said 60% of the world's oil and 40% of the world's gas come out of the region.
Countries in Asia are already calling for people to conserve fuel.
"The President of South Korea said this week to save every single drop of oil, every single plastic bag," Foley said.
Foley said the big question is whether Iran will bomb oil field and water plants in neighboring countries.
President Trump has already threatened to destroy critical infrastructure in Iran if they do not allow oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
It could lead to powerful friends helping Iran.
"China sees Iran as one of its most important strategic allies in the world," Foley said.
He also said Russia is a longtime friend of Iran, but Russia is busy with the war in Ukraine.
Foley is hopeful this can be over in the next few weeks, but worries about the war expanding.
You can see the entire interview on Inside Politics which airs on NewsChannel 5 Plus throughout the weekend.
Inside Politics is also a podcast. Just type in Inside Politics Nashville and start listening.
