In other words, a revolution in Saudi Arabia or a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could still inflict damage on the US and its allies. So, even if America had no other interests in the Middle East, such as Israel or nuclear non-proliferation, a balance of energy imports and exports would be unlikely to free the US from military expenditures – which some experts estimate run to $50 billion per year – to protect oil routes in the region.
换句话说，沙特革命或是封锁霍尔木兹海峡之类的事件仍旧可能对美国及其盟友造成严重伤害。因此，即使美国在中东没有其他利益（比如以色列或核不扩散），能源进出口平衡也不会让美国从保护该地区石油运输线的军费开支（一些专家估计高达每年500亿美元）中解脱出来。