How the race for AI energy is driving the war on Iran

How the race for AI energy is driving the war on Iran Submitted by Mohammad Reza Farzanegan on Mon, 04/13/2026 - 14:37 As artificial intelligence reshapes global competition, control of the energy that powers it has become a strategic prize, with Iran – locked in a naval standoff – at the centre of that contest Visitors at an AI display during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi, 13 January 2026 (Balkis Press/ABACA) Off The US-Israeli war on Iran , which began on 28 February, has been presented in Washington as a response to "imminent threats" and concerns over nuclear proliferation. Ceasefire talks in Islamabad collapsed on 12 April after 21 hours without a deal, and the US naval blockade of Iranian ports took effect on 13 April. Yet the strategic context is broader than the official narrative suggests.