China has been attempting to expand its One Belt, One Road project through the Middle East by heavy funding of energy projects in the region. Ever since the 1973 Arab oil embargo, the U.S. has attempted to gain influence in the Middle East in order to ensure the security of oil. A new pan-Arab power grid could hurt the ambitions of both the U.S. and China in the region, with the potential of even Iran being included in the alliance. A core strategy of both the U.S. and China in securing the dominant influence in the Middle East is to hold sway over the region’s basic power supplies. The most obvious evidence of this in recent years are the various attempts by the U.S. (including the ‘relationship normalization deal’ program, direct funding to governments, and sanctions, among others) to stop Chinese regional proxy, Iran, from building out its influence […]