Resource Wars Are Here and Oil Is the First Casualty

In just over a year, the world saw several instances of a choked supply of commodities indispensable for today’s economies and military capabilities. From China’s restrictions on rare earths and critical minerals supply to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, policymakers and analysts began to realize that the control of oil, critical minerals, rare earths, and magnets is as important as building and maintaining stockpiles of advanced weapons. It also became clear that without these resources, defense and military capabilities…