Saudi Aramco estimates the world lost 2.6 billion barrels of oil since the US-Iran conflict began. What does this mean for consumers and investors?

Saudi Aramco has put a stark number on the energy fallout from the ongoing US-Iran conflict: more than 2.6 billion barrels of oil supply lost since fighting erupted in February 2026. That figure, first highlighted by Aramco CEO Amin Nasser in early August and amplified in a recent Reuters report widely shared on X by […]

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Oil Supply Crunch Worsens Despite War’s Demand Hit, Says IEA

The International Energy Agency’s latest Oil Market Report underscores a deepening imbalance in global oil markets. Despite a sharper-than-expected contraction in demand driven by elevated prices from the ongoing Iran conflict and related disruptions, supply shortfalls have widened even more, producing the tightest near-term balances in years. At the time this article is written, Brent […]

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Can Brent Hit $100 as Hormuz, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Ukraine All Come Under Fire?

Geopolitical risks are colliding across multiple theaters in early August 2026, creating a perfect storm for energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz is flaring again, with Iranian loadings collapsing toward zero. Saudi Arabia’s Jazan refinery has been hit by Houthi drones for the second time in weeks. Ukraine continues deep strikes on Russian refining infrastructure, […]

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The Hormuz Crisis Has Permanently Changed the Economics and Importance of Energy Security

The 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis—sparked by U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran beginning in late February and marked by Iranian attacks on shipping, assertions of control, U.S. naval responses and blockades, and sharply reduced tanker traffic—has delivered the largest oil supply disruption on record. At its peak, the effective closure or severe constriction of the waterway, […]

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Iran Rejects US Talks, and Trump is Showing Restraint

Iran has ruled out direct negotiations with the United States for now, citing repeated violations of a short-lived interim peace memorandum of understanding signed in June, while President Donald Trump has signaled a patient, restrained approach focused on economic pressure rather than immediate new military action. The standoff continues to leave the Strait of Hormuz—the […]

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Saudi Arabia Attacked Again, and is Gearing Up for Retaliation. What Does This Mean for Oil

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis claimed a drone strike on Saudi Aramco’s Jazan (also spelled Jizan) refinery on Sunday, August 9, 2026, just two days after the kingdom signed a major trilateral defense pact. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry reported a fire at a facility within the complex that was extinguished with no injuries. This marks the latest […]

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Treasury Sanctions Crypto Exchanges Funding Iran’s IRGC and Enabling Illicit Finance – Secretary Scott Bessent Locking Funding Down

On August 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sweeping sanctions targeting digital asset exchanges and networks used by the Iranian regime to launder funds, evade sanctions, and support the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other terrorist groups. The action hits two major platforms exploited by […]

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