Don't kid yourself. They are solely about oil. Without oil we wouldn't give a damn about "projecting power in the region."
Not kidding myself. It is not solely about oil. It is an important pinch point geopolitically, and there is much more than oil at stake. Oil has been no small part of it, though.
I do use a digital device in my photographic pursuits when necessary.
When someone rags on me for using film, I use a middle digit, upraised.