US Structural Power and Oil: Debilitating the Iranian Oil Industry

The concept of structural power pioneered by Susan Strange can shed light on the role of the United States (US) in the decline of the Iranian oil industry. Despite possessing the fourth-largest proven oil reserves in the world and historically having the second-largest oil production in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia, the Iranian oil industry has been decimated due to escalating pressure from the US, particularly since 2010. Washington has utilised its hegemonic position in the international system to debilitate Iran’s oil industry by imposing an unprecedented and comprehensive range of sanctions and creating alternatives to Iranian oil in the global market, leading Iran’s closest consumers to use alternative suppliers. The success of these measures highlights the structural power of the US and its ability to both set the international agenda and ignore international norms in pursuit of its interests.
Keywords: United States; structural power; Iran; oil; sanctions