The United States doesn't just want to lead the global energy market anymore. It wants to break it. That’s the core message coming from General Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). While Western analysts often talk about "energy independence" or "market stabilization," Salami argues we’re seeing a deliberate pivot toward chaos. He claims the US has moved away from its historical role as a manager of global resources and now finds its interests in creating friction.
It’s a bold take. Most people still think of Washington as the global policeman trying to keep the oil flowing to prevent price spikes at the pump. Salami disagrees. He sees a strategy where the US uses its own massive domestic production to insulate itself while letting the rest of the world deal with instability. This isn’t just about oil prices. It’s about who holds the leash on the global economy.
The end of the American energy manager era
For decades, the deal was simple. The US protected the shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf, and in exchange, the world got a predictable supply of crude. This "manager" role was born out of necessity. If the Middle East sneezed, the American economy caught a cold. But things changed. The shale revolution turned the US into a net exporter. Suddenly, the old rules didn't apply.
Salami points out that the US no longer feels the same pressure to keep the Middle East peaceful. If a conflict breaks out in the Strait of Hormuz, it hurts China, India, and Europe far more than it hurts Texas or North Dakota. That’s the "disruption" factor. By stepping back or actively poking the hornets' nest, the US forces its rivals to scramble for expensive alternatives while it sits on a mountain of its own supply.
I've watched this play out in various geopolitical theaters. Look at the sanctions on Iranian and Russian oil. On the surface, they’re about human rights or regional security. But from the IRGC’s perspective, these are tools of market disruption. They remove millions of barrels from the global supply, creating a vacuum that American producers are more than happy to fill. It’s a ruthless brand of economic warfare disguised as diplomacy.
Why the IRGC thinks disruption is the new goal
Why would a superpower want a messy world? Because stability favors the status quo, and the status quo currently favors China’s rise. China is the world's largest importer of oil. It needs a calm, predictable Middle East to keep its factories running. If the US shifts to a strategy of disruption, it creates a massive headache for Beijing.
Salami’s logic is that the US uses instability as a "force multiplier." When the world is on edge, the US dollar remains the safe haven. When energy markets are volatile, American LNG (liquified natural gas) becomes the preferred alternative for a nervous Europe. It's not about keeping the peace anymore. It’s about making sure everyone else is too busy dealing with crises to challenge American dominance.
The shift from protection to weaponization
We used to talk about "energy security." Now we talk about "energy dominance." There’s a huge difference. Security is defensive; dominance is offensive. Salami argues that the IRGC sees this shift as a direct threat to Iranian sovereignty. If the US can disrupt the global market at will, it can effectively "turn off" the economies of its enemies.
Iran has spent years trying to build a "resistance economy." They’ve focused on domestic refining and selling to buyers who don’t care about US sanctions. But Salami knows that a disrupted global market makes everything harder. Higher insurance costs for tankers, nervous buyers, and the constant threat of naval skirmishes all play into the disruption narrative.
The role of domestic politics in global chaos
We can’t ignore the internal pressure in the US. Every American president knows that high gas prices are a one-way ticket to losing an election. However, the US is now the top producer of oil and gas globally. This gives Washington a level of "disruption cushion" it never had in the 1970s or 1990s.
Basically, the US can afford to be a bit reckless. Salami’s critique suggests that the IRGC recognizes this newfound American confidence. They see a country that is no longer afraid of a global supply shock because it has the domestic capacity to weather the storm. This makes the US a more dangerous actor in the eyes of Tehran. When you don't have skin in the game, you're more likely to flip the table.
Sanctions as a permanent market fixture
Sanctions aren't just temporary punishments anymore. They’re structural changes to the global energy map. By keeping Iran and Venezuela partially sidelined, the US ensures that "friendly" oil—mostly its own and its closest allies'—maintains a higher market share. Salami calls this a disruption of the natural order.
The IRGC thinks this is a desperate move. They argue that by breaking the global system, the US is actually accelerating its own decline. Why? Because it’s forcing countries like China, Russia, and Iran to build a parallel system. We’re seeing the birth of "petroyuan" and alternative payment systems that bypass the dollar entirely. It’s a high-stakes gamble.
How Iran plans to counter the disruption strategy
Iran isn't just complaining. They’re pivoting. Salami’s rhetoric is backed by a push to strengthen ties with the East. They’re betting that the world’s appetite for energy will eventually outweigh the US's ability to disrupt it.
- Expanding local refinery capacity to export finished products instead of raw crude.
- Building pipelines that bypass vulnerable maritime chokepoints.
- Deepening the "Look to the East" policy, focusing on long-term contracts with Asian powers.
The IRGC's view is that the US has become a "wild card" in the global economy. They believe that by embracing disruption, Washington has forfeited its right to lead. Whether you agree with Salami or not, his assessment highlights a massive shift in how the world views American power. We’ve gone from the era of the Global Policeman to the era of the Global Disruptor.
If you want to understand where energy prices are going, stop looking just at OPEC+ quotas. Start looking at how the US uses its energy exports as a geopolitical hammer. The strategy of disruption isn't just a theory from an Iranian general; it's a visible shift in how Washington interacts with the world. Keep an eye on the next round of sanctions or the next naval exercise in the Gulf. They aren't just about security. They're about who controls the flow of the world's most important resource in an increasingly fractured age.
