Who most benefits from US sanctions on Iran?
Is it Saudi Arabia? Israel? Perhaps the United Arab Emirates?
Try Russia.
By weakening Iran, the sanctions cede Russia the power to balance crude oil markets.
That’s because OPEC needs big producers to help Saudi Arabia enforce oil production quotas. With Iran sidelined, Saudi Arabia alone can’t convince the other smaller producers to hold back production and a hobbled OPEC can no longer bend the world oil market to its will. That is, unless Saudi Arabia gains the cooperation of another major producer, either Russia or Iran.
