By Matt Bracken - April 8, 2026

I think it will be called the Great Energy World War, but perhaps in time it will take on a different name. WW3 and WW4 are too ambiguous; has WW3 already happened? So in my mind, it’s the GEWW.

This complex multi-player war will be about energy flows between the major national suppliers and the major national consumers. It will not be confined to the Middle East. Refineries, LNG plants (liquefaction and gasification) and even tankers on the high seas will eventually be attacked.

Already we have seen Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil infrastructure near St. Petersburg. Flying over NATO countries to detour around Belarus and Russian territory until the final approach, these drones covered more than 1,000 KM.

And we have seen a major fire at the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. This may have been an accident, but sabotage cannot be discounted. Disgruntled or hostile employees know the most dangerous attack vectors, because they are exactly the opposite of their deep safety training.

There was also just a major fire in Panama that put the Bridge of the Americas at risk. If this bridge collapsed, it would close the Panama Canal.

And who can forget the Evergreen closing the Suez Canal? Not only can the Houthis once again close the Red Sea, a “simple mistake” (or a well planned one) can close the Suez Canal for weeks.

There are not enough naval forces in existence afloat to guarantee the freedom of the seas that the world has enjoyed since the end of WW2 in 1945. Pax Americana is dead: it was killed on February 28, 2026, with U.S. and Israeli (“USraeli”) sneak-attack assassination missile strikes during ongoing negotiations with Iran.

Americans may think . . .

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