Iran News

The number of visible commodity vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz dropped to five per day over the weekend, shipping data showed on Monday, as companies tread cautiously amid continued attacks on ships.The actual number of ships passing the strait could be higher as some vessels have switched off their automatic identification system to evade attacks.Weekend traffic was limited to small-sized vessels, data from commodities firm Kpler showed. These included two liquefied…

Iran's energy hub of Kharg Island is being blown to smithereens, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday, after forces hit two rocket launchers on another island in the first known American strikes on the Islamic republic since late July.Attacking Kharg, which handled 90% of Iran's oil exports before the war launched by U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28, would severely disrupt its energy trade and put huge pressure on its economy."Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT," Trump said on social media, but gave no further details.The White House and the U.S.

Iran condemned the United States' new economic sanctions on Friday as "state terrorism" and said other countries were legally obliged not to implement them, while the U.S. Treasury Department announced additional targeted Iran-related measures.The Iranian foreign ministry's statement came as mediators stepped up efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which handled 20% of world oil supplies before the war began six months ago and whose status remains the biggest obstacle to a…

Iran and Oman are still working on the details of an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source said on Wednesday, after Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the two countries had agreed how to share the waterway and its revenues.The elite force's spokesperson, echoing Tehran's official stance, also said the strait would not open unless the U.S. met Tehran's conditions under an interim ceasefire agreement that was struck in June before unravelling. Those conditions include an end to the U.S.

Oil prices fell about 4% to a one-week low on Tuesday as traders shrugged off the latest U.S. sanctions campaign against Iran, viewing economic pressure as posing less risk to oil supplies than a military escalation.Brent crude futures were down $3.83, or 4.2%, to $88.34 a barrel by 11:44 a.m. EDT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $3.34, or 3.9%, to $81.67.Both benchmarks hit their lowest levels since August 17.The shift from military conflict to economic pressure in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has reduced some of the oil market's anxiety…

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters of the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran has been told that any ship or boat placing new mines will be destroyed.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States, through its Space Force, was watching "every square inch" of the Strait, a key waterway in the global energy supply chain."There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect," Trump said.The U.S.

Planned new U.S. sanctions on Iran and the UAE's halt on Tehran trade could severely disrupt Indian exports of rice, tea and pharmaceuticals to Iran, which have been largely routed through Dubai's port in recent years, Indian exporters said on Monday.India has been among Iran's five largest trading partners, though bilateral trade has fallen by more than 90% from its 2018/19 highs of $17 billion, with exports now limited mostly to goods exempted on humanitarian grounds.Indian exporters fear U.S.

Iran said it had blacklisted 45 tankers that had broken its rules for crossing the Strait of Hormuz, and would take action against any vessels transferring loads with them, escalating its threats over the key waterway six months into the war.The named vessels could be fined, detained and have their cargoes confiscated, according to an X post late on Sunday from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a new body set up by Iran to manage the strait.The warning was issued within days of the U.S. threatening Iran with "the toughest sanctions in history", and Iran saying its response to any new U.S.

Oil prices were steady on Friday and were on track for a second straight weekly gain after the United States threatened to impose the toughest sanctions in history with no end in sight for disruptions to Middle East oil flows.Brent crude futures rose 20 cents, or 0.21%, to $93.98 a barrel by 1307 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 7 cents, or 0.08%, at $86.90.The Brent benchmark has gained more than 6.1% while WTI has risen 5.3% this week, with both touching their highest since July 24 in the previous session."The U.S.

An oil tanker under U.S. sanctions for allegedly transporting Iranian petroleum products has become the latest victim of resurgent Somali piracy when it was boarded off the coast of Yemen and diverted toward Somalia.The Eritrea-flagged Sibu 1 was seized on Thursday by six armed individuals, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The tanker was sanctioned last December by the U.S. Treasury for allegedly being part of a shadow fleet that helps Iranian petroleum products evade U.S.

The United Arab Emirates' defense ministry said on Tuesday that it had detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, the first such incident reported since a May 4 strike on the Fujairah port.In a statement later, the ministry said the missiles targeted "maritime traffic" based on its assessments. Both missiles fell into the sea, it said.Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected early on Wednesday the statement by the UAE, describing it as "baseless."In a statement issued after the missile threat…

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed, data showed on Wednesday, as most shipowners avoided the key waterway because of a lack of clear signalling on its reopening from a blockade during the Iran war.Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, Kpler data showed by 0258 GMT, down from nine a day earlier and below the 10-day daily average of 11.Inbound traffic included an empty very large crude carrier that followed the Omani side of the strait, as well as two tankers…

Iraq's cabinet approved mechanisms for exporting Iraqi crude through specialized international and local companies and via multiple export outlets, the government said on Tuesday.The contracts under the new mechanism will run for three months starting September 1, according to a statement issued after the cabinet meeting.Iraq is seeking to diversify its oil export channels and maintain flexibility in marketing its crude amid the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz…

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday no talks were taking place with Iran and none were scheduled, and he insisted that the Strait of Hormuz was open, contradicting an earlier Iranian assertion that the critical waterway remained shut to shipping.The receding prospects of a deal to end the nearly six-month conflict drove up oil prices again on Tuesday, while stock markets sagged and borrowing costs for major economies including the U.S. hit multi-decade highs, amid concerns…

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it received a report on Tuesday that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting outbound in the Strait of Hormuz, causing engine room damage and a crew casualty.The remaining crew were being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard, according to the report. No environmental impact was reported and authorities were investigating, UKMTO said.Maritime security sources identified the vessel to Reuters as Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Minoan Dignity…

Iran has decided to shift its policy from defensive to "fully offensive" due to the deadlock in efforts to agree a permanent end to its war with the United States, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.Progress towards peace talks and a resumption of oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz has ground to a halt, with no sign that the warring parties are moving towards ending the conflict that the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28."Iranian entities must be prepared to escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and wider region…

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed over the weekend, data showed on Monday, following attacks on tankers, while U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the Middle East conflict stalled.Five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, with none registered for Sunday, shiptracking data from Kpler showed, versus 31 in the prior weekend.Ships entering the strait on Saturday included an empty very large crude carrier with its Automatic Identification System switched off and an Indian-flagged very large gas carrier that used the Iranian route…

Iran called on the U.S. to accept defeat on Saturday, while President Donald Trump blasted Tehran as "very evil" and told Americans to prepare for continued high fuel prices as a result of the war.Progress towards peace talks and oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz remained halted, with no sign the warring parties were moving toward ending the conflict that the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28."This strait will be opened and closed only under Iran's command…

Just how much crude oil is leaving the Strait of Hormuz?U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright claims almost nine million barrels per day, but the companies that track vessel movements say at best it is about half this volume.The amount of crude leaving the Middle East via the narrow chokepoint matters, as it's this oil that goes to Asia, the top energy-consuming region that has been hardest hit by the fallout since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.Wright said on social media platform X on August 12 that "thanks to the coordinated efforts of the U.S.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said on Thursday the Department of Homeland Security has approved a second 90-day extension of a Jones Act waiver first issued on March 17, 2026, allowing certain covered cargoes to continue moving on foreign-flagged vessels between U.S. ports under specified conditions.The waiver will commence on August 17, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. ET, the CBP guidance said.CBP said any covered product must be loaded onboard a vessel before the waiver expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on November 15, 2026.

The U.S. military has enough assets to maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, adding ships could be rotated in and out of the region as needed.Hegseth's comments suggest he is advising U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. military can keep applying economic pressure on Iran for as long as needed to help so-far failed negotiations to end the conflict, begun in February."Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out…

Transit through the Strait of Hormuz appeared to grind to a near standstill on Friday after two more ships were attacked there and the United States said it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely.A senior Iranian source said on Wednesday that there had been no progress in talks to build on a June agreement to end the war. Since the ceasefire renewed in the June deal broke down, Iran has resumed attacks on ships it accuses of trying to transit the strait without its…

The leader of U.S. Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, wrote on Sunday that his recent visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln was "awe-inspiring" and hailed the crew's "resilience" following reports of concerns about mental health and deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier.The ship has not made a port call in more than 200 days, setting a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea, according to Democratic lawmakers who have called for answers after sailors' families…