Geopolitical Economy Report
Geopolitical Economy Report
Ben Norton
Iran challenges US dollar, says oil must be sold in Chinese yuan, as it targets US corporations
45 minutes Posted Mar 17, 2026 at 1:21 pm.
Iran war causes energy crisis
Oil price skyrockets
Fears of economic crisis
Strait of Hormuz
Iran permits Chinese oil tankers
Iran says: sell oil in RMB, not USD
Dollar dominance & petrodollar
Asymmetric warfare
US military bases in Middle East
Iran strikes CIA stations
Iran hits US refueling planes
US empire underestimated Iran
Iran targets US corporations
Economic warfare
(CLIP) Scott Bessent on sanctions
New leader Mojtaba Khamenei
Iran strategy spelled out
Tehran wants revenge
Yemen, Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab
US war on Yemen in 2025
Anti-colonial wars
Trump sends more US troops
Iran's Kharg Island
Global energy crisis
Trump wants military coalition
Iran allows Chinese ships
US dollar dominance
US current account deficit
Exorbitant privilege of dollar
Dedollarization
West seized Russia's reserves
Central banks buy gold
US Treasury securities
Oil sales in dollars
Trump threatened BRICS
Iran promotes dedollarization
China & Russia de-dollarize
India
UAE
Saudi Arabia
Iran & Indonesia join BRICS
Iran proposes BRICS currency
Divisions within BRICS
Struggle against imperialism
Outro
0:00
45:22
Download MP3
Show notes
In response to the US-Israeli war, Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, the most important oil chokepoint on Earth, causing energy prices to skyrocket. However, Tehran is allowing Chinese tankers through, and says other ships can pass if they agree to sell oil in China's currency, the renminbi (aka yuan).
Iran is also targeting offices of major American corporations, and wants to force them out of the Middle East (West Asia), while trying to expel US military bases.
Ben Norton explains how this war affects the petrodollar system, and the dominance of the dollar as the global reserve currency.
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2zBWcGahuc
Topics