Iran News

The United States struck bridges and an airport in Iran on Friday, provoking Tehran to respond by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, as the warring foes risked further escalation by expanding their targets to include infrastructure.At sea, where the renewed conflict has again cut off energy supplies from the Gulf, U.S. Marines boarded a tanker near the Strait of Hormuz. Another vessel was seized by armed men off Yemen, raising concern over security in the Middle…

President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States was reinstating its blockade of Iranian shipping in the Gulf and would ensure the Strait of Hormuz stays open after the two sides exchanged more missile and drone attacks.The latest hostilities followed an announcement by Iran over the weekend that it was closing the strait, and cast further doubt on the viability of an interim deal to halt the war in the Middle East and drove oil prices higher."The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran.

Iranian oil supplies at sea are rising after Tehran ramped up exports during the interim peace deal with the United States, but sales have been slow as China's independent refiners have turned to cheaper crude from Iraq, the UAE and Qatar.The return of U.S. sanctions this week risks leaving Tehran with more cargoes searching for buyers just as shipments arrive in Asia.In recent weeks, independent Chinese refiners based in the eastern oil hub of Shandong, known as teapots, bought 16 million to 20.5 million barrels of crude from Qatar…

Oil prices eased on Thursday after earlier gains as markets assessed the escalating conflict between the U.S. and Iran and its implications for efforts to end the war and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Brent crude futures were down 11 cents, or 0.1%, to $77.91 a barrel at 1322 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped 38 cents, or 0.5%, to $73.14 a barrel.Brent and WTI crude futures hit their highest levels since June 22 on Wednesday.Still, New York Federal Reserve…

Oil prices jumped nearly 5% on Wednesday, hitting a two-week high after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that the United States will likely engage in additional strikes on Wednesday night after attacks the previous day, adding that they might take over Kharg Island as well.Brent crude futures were up $3.81, or 5.14%, to $77.97 a barrel at 1339 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $3.36, or 4.77%, to $73.80 a barrel. The benchmarks hit their highest levels since June 22 earlier in the session.Both rose about 3% on Tuesday after the U.S.

Oil prices fell more than 1% to a four-month low on Thursday as concerns over supply disruptions eased after mediator Qatar said Iran and the U.S. made progress in talks over ending the four-month war that shut the key shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.Brent futures were $1.03, or 1.44%, lower, at $70.54 a barrel at 10:54 a.m. CDT (1554 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 92 cents, or 1.34%, to $67.66 a barrel. During the session, both benchmarks hit their lowest…

The U.S. and Iran held indirect technical talks in Doha on Wednesday as they seek to agree on the flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire, a source with direct knowledge of the talks and an Iranian official said.The talks are based on a 14-point interim accord signed last month that was meant to halt the war that began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February and reopen the strait, while setting up 60 days of negotiations for a permanent peace deal.However, the U.S.

Oil prices fell on Wednesday as optimism over U.S.-Iran talks eased supply concerns after U.S. President Donald Trump said meetings in Qatar had gone well.Brent futures were down 95 cents, or 1.30%, to $72.00 a barrel at 0119 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was down 54 cents, or 0.78%, at $68.96 a barrel — its lowest since February 27."The negotiations that are currently taking place in Qatar are perceived as being positive (and) that has allowed prices to drift further…

The world's oil tanker fleet is behaving as if the Strait of Hormuz is reopening — even as the waterway itself remains only partially navigable and politically contested. From ship tracking data to freight rates, the signals are clear: owners and charterers are moving early to position vessels for a return to Gulf exports.But the gap between expectation and reality remains wide, leaving the global oil shipping system in a fragile middle ground between crisis and recovery.The most immediate evidence of adjustment lies in real-time vessel movements.

Oil prices gained more than 1% on Monday after attacks by the U.S. and Iran underscored the fragility of their interim peace deal, while cautious hopes of a continued recovery in energy shipping through the Strait of Hormuz limited gains.Iranian and U.S. technical teams working on the implementation of an interim peace deal are expected to meet in Doha in the coming days, a source told Reuters on Monday, after the tit-for-tat weekend strikes threatened to derail the accord.Brent crude futures were up 90 cents, or 1.25%, at $72.89 a barrel by 11:36 a.m. EDT (1537 GMT). U.S.

Tehran reasserted its right on Friday to control shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and warned Gulf states against siding with the U.S., a day after an attack on a ship near Oman highlighted the fragility of a preliminary deal to end the Iran war.Iran was responding to what it called an "interventionist, irresponsible and provocative" joint statement by the United States and six Gulf states that rejected Iran's insistence that it could charge tolls on vessels transiting the strait."Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements…

While oil and gas are once again flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, the closure of the vital waterway for over 100 days could prove to be a turning point in global energy markets. The Arab oil embargo of 1973, a similarly disruptive supply shock, offers clues about where we might be headed.The latest Middle East crisis tested the limits of the modern energy system, which has evolved over recent decades into a highly interconnected global market held together by thousands of tankers…

A cargo ship reported a suspected attack as it attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz close to the coast of Oman on Thursday, British navy agency UKMTO said.The UN's International Maritime Organization is currently assisting ships escape the Gulf, hundreds of which have been stranded there since the Iran war began at the end of February.The ship reported being struck on its starboard side by a projectile 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman's port of Dahit, the UKMTO said.Another maritime security source said the vessel was likely targeted by a drone…

Crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz rose this week to their highest level since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran began in February after a ceasefire deal reopened the waterway, data showed on Thursday.Concerns about how long the strait would stay open also boosted trade.Still, while there was an increase in oil shipments amid strong demand, especially in Asia after months of disruptions, overall sailings are still a fraction of the daily average of 125 ships passing…

Oman and Iran agreed on Tuesday to press on with discussions about the future administration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, including maritime services in the strategic waterway and the costs associated with them.In a joint statement issued after talks in Muscat, the two countries said a joint working group involving their foreign ministries would be formed to continue the discussions and that they would consult other littoral states and relevant parties.The move appears…

Oil prices fell 4% on Monday after U.S. Vice President JD Vance said progress has been made in talks with Iran and that the Strait of Hormuz was open, easing supply concerns.Brent crude was down $3.18 or 3.95%, at $77.39 a barrel by 11:44 a.m. ET (1544 GMT) Prices had climbed to $82.30 at the start of trading because of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to restart the war on Iran, as well as an announcement from Tehran that it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz.U.S.

Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz picked up on Friday after the United States and Iran signed a ceasefire deal, with Gulf producers preparing to raise exports despite concerns over conditions set by Tehran for using the vital waterway.Washington and Tehran released the text of an interim agreement signed on Wednesday to end the conflict, although U.S. President Donald Trump warned he could resume attacks and target Iranian officials if commitments are not honoured.At least four tankers carrying crude…

Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement on Thursday that the country's Persian Gulf Strait Authority will take measures to issue fast authorizations to ships wanting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as per the memorandum of understanding signed by Tehran and Washington.Measures on mine clearance will be carried out under the Islamabad MoU, though ships are advised to stick to the path and timing allocated by the authority, the statement published by state media added.The U.S.

"Global fertilizer shipments have fallen 11% y/y since the start of the Iran war. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has restricted fertilizer exports from the Persian Gulf, tightening the global supply and increasing prices. The ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran could lead to a rebound in shipments,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Under normal conditions, 16% of global fertilizer shipments come from the Persian Gulf and pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the strait has significantly disrupted cargo volumes.

While U.S. President Donald Trump has recently hailed the resumption of oil flows from Gulf allies, Iran, too, appears to be gearing up to resume exports and trading.At least three tankers carrying some five million barrels of Iranian oil have sailed through the U.S. naval blockade this week, shipping data shows, despite the U.S. military saying its operations against Iran-linked shipping will stay in place until Friday.The oil market has focused on a deal to end the Iran war…

The United States military has overseen scores of secretive ship-to-ship oil transfers to keep Gulf energy exports flowing, using aerial and water drones as well as helicopters in an operation to guide convoys to awaiting tankers.The operation on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz employs a shuttling technique long used by Iran to skirt sanctions.Two specific locations where the oil transfers take place were identified by 11 people familiar with the operation – one off the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and the other off Oman’s port of Sohar.It started in early May…

The United States and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding to settle a near four-month war, senior U.S. officials said on Monday, adding that a signing ceremony would take place on Friday and shipping traffic in the strait of Hormuz would gradually ramp up.The memorandum of understanding has been signed by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, one U.S. official said.Speaking at a briefing with reporters, the U.S.

Shippers in Asia and Europe said confidence in resuming transit through the Strait of Hormuz could take weeks to rebuild and navigation will only restart once safety is assured, after the U.S. and Iran agreed a framework deal to reopen the waterway.U.S. and Iranian officials are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding to end their war and reopen the strait on Friday. Global oil prices fell about 5% on Monday in response.President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that ships loaded with oil are starting to move out of the strait…