Soleimani has been killed, how will Iran respond?

Crude prices have surged, Iran has vowed revenge and analysts expect another attack on energy infrastructure in the Middle East, potentially impacting global oil supply significantly in the near term.

On this Platts Capitol Crude we talk to Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an Iran expert, on the policy and market impacts of the US killing of Iran’s top military commander, General Qassim Soleimani, in airstrikes in Baghdad.

Taleblu says Iran will likely target more infrastructure, both onshore and off, similar to the Abqaiq attacks in September, as Soleimani’s death has compounded the escalation between the US and Iran. Taleblu also talks about the likelihood of a military conflict between the two nations, the Trump administration’s evolving endgame with its Iran policy, and why US shale and relatively steady oil prices may have emboldened the White House’s strategy towards Tehran.