In the long contest between energy security and geopolitical instability, the ancient logic of chokepoints has reasserted itself. A critical Saudi pipeline — built precisely to route crude oil around the volatile Strait of Hormuz — has been struck and shut down, sending oil prices higher and reminding global markets how fragile the arteries of modern civilization remain. Suspicion has fallen on Iran and its regional allies, though attribution in such matters is rarely simple. What is clear is that Saudi Arabia, long a stabilizing force in global energy supply, now finds one of its most importa