Considering the existing fears that some Middle East nations might reduce, or even cut oil supplies to the West, al-Sudani’s statement on energy supplies received particular attention in western media. 

The Iraqi leader reportedly warned that supplies of Middle East oil to international markets could be disrupted if the war between Israel and Palestinian Resistance in Gaza escalates to the point of involving other countries in the region.

The conflict will “impact global security, escalate regional conflict, jeopardize energy supplies, exacerbate economic crises, and invite further conflicts,” the Associated Press quoted al-Sudani as saying on Saturday in Cairo.

Al-Sudani called for an immediate cease-fire and a prisoner swap to bring an end to the bloodshed. He argued against displacing Palestinian civilians out of the Gaza Strip, saying, “the Palestinians have no other place but their land.”

His position is consistent with the position of all important political actors in the region, namely Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. 

The Iraqi Prime Minister said that the current crisis could have been averted if United Nations Security Council resolutions against Israel’s illegal settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territory had been respected. 

Al-Sudani’s warning comes amid western concerns that Middle East countries could cut off oil exports to the West in response to a possible Israeli ground offensive in besieged Gaza.