Topic: Oil Embargo

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi calls for an oil embargo against Israel and warns that the situation in Gaza is spiraling out of control. Al Jazeera reports on nationwide protests in Iran where the "black flag" was raised, symbolizing a call for mobilization or revenge. The hosts suggest that the lack of humanitarian aid for Gaza is being used to intentionally agitate the Iranian government and population toward war.

EU leadership claims Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is a strategic failure that has unified NATO and the European Union. While a full oil embargo is being phased in strategically to prevent Russia from selling at higher prices on the world market, the long-term goal is a permanent severance of the energy relationship.

New York Times columnist Tom Friedman expressed hope that Vladimir Putin would cut off gas to Europe to trigger a clean-tech revolution similar to the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo. One host counters this by recounting the negative economic impacts of the 1970s energy crisis, arguing it hurt the U.S. auto industry rather than launching a sustainable solar industry.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner joins the push for increased economic sanctions against Syria, targeting the country's oil revenues and central bank transactions. Hillary Clinton asserts that the Syrian currency has collapsed and that only Iranian and Russian support keeps the regime afloat. The hosts highlight the "money grab" aspect of freezing Syrian assets and the role of the "Friends of Syria" working group in Washington D.C.

Analysts on Charlie Rose discussed the "unprecedented" financial war being waged against Iran, including an embargo on oil sales and sanctions on its central bank. A comparison is made to the US oil embargo on Japan prior to Pearl Harbor, suggesting that extreme economic pressure could lead to a violent military response.