Iran is tightening its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil chokepoint, with new rules requiring ships to obtain permission and secure insurance from Tehran. This move explicitly paves the way for future tolls, even as a fragile U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed earlier this week aimed to normalize flows. […]
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West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil is trading around $75 per barrel today, with Brent near $78. Following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, headline prices have eased significantly from the peaks above $120 seen during the conflict. Yet a growing disconnect exists between these paper/futures prices and the […]
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QatarEnergy is moving LNG tankers back to its Ras Laffan Industrial City complex as it prepares to resume exports once safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is restored, following a preliminary U.S.-Iran deal that has raised hopes for regional de-escalation. Vessel-tracking data shows that at least four Qatar-owned LNG carriers recently began heading toward […]
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In a symbolic breakthrough for global energy shipping, the first LNG tanker has successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz following the late Sunday announcement of a U.S.-Iran framework deal to end the war and reopen the critical chokepoint. Early on Monday, June 15, the Indian-flagged LNG carrier Disha (chartered by state-owned Petronet LNG and operated […]
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The recent U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has triggered a wave of optimism in oil markets. Traders are pricing in a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a rapid normalization of supply chains, and a return to lower pre-crisis price levels. Brent crude has already dropped toward $83–$84 per barrel, with WTI near $80–$81, […]
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ENB Pub Note: This article is from David Blackmon’s Substack, and we highly recommend subscribing. Iran’s overreliance on the Strait of Hormuz as a geopolitical weapon is proving self-destructive. By threatening or disrupting this critical chokepoint – through which roughly 20 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil historically flowed – Iran has accelerated the […]
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In the high-stakes waters of the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 20% of global oil trade flows daily, a dramatic incident unfolded on June 8-9, 2026, that underscores the unseen military efforts keeping energy markets stable. A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter was struck by an Iranian Shahed drone, forcing an emergency ditching into the […]
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In a significant move to bolster energy security amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, Japan’s JERA — the world’s largest buyer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) — has secured a landmark 20-year supply contract with Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas. The deal, announced today following high-level talks between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Malaysian […]
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In a statement that underscores the deepening fog of miscommunication between Tehran and Washington, Iran’s Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, told Russia’s Izvestia newspaper that the Strait of Hormuz will ultimately reopen — but only under new conditions set jointly by Iran and Oman, including transit fees for “services” provided in the waterway. “Of course, […]
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U.S. forces conducted a maritime interdiction and boarded the stateless supertanker MT Davina (also known as Lenore) overnight in the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) confirmed on June 5, 2026. The vessel, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) capable of carrying up to two million barrels of oil, was operating as […]
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