In a sharp escalation of tensions in the Persian Gulf, two Indian-flagged vessels—one a VLCC supertanker carrying approximately 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude—were fired upon by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz on April 18, 2026. The ships, identified as the Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav, were forced to […]
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In a fluid and confusing situation that has maritime operators on edge, several tankers and cargo vessels executed abrupt U-turns in the Strait of Hormuz over the past 48 hours after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) signaled a return to tight control of the waterway. While Iran’s foreign minister declared the strait “completely open” […]
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As a record armada of crude oil tankers steams toward the U.S. Gulf Coast to load American barrels—171 vessels en route in April 2026, with 28 VLCCs already fixed for May loadings alone—another surge is unfolding downstream. U.S. crude cargoes transiting the Panama Canal are now exceeding 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the first […]
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In a significant development for global energy markets, Iran announced today that the Strait of Hormuz is now “completely open” to commercial shipping for the remainder of the fragile ceasefire period tied to the Lebanon truce. The announcement, made by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, comes amid ongoing U.S. naval restrictions on vessels calling at […]
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A record armada of crude oil tankers is steaming toward the U.S. Gulf Coast in April 2026. Maritime intelligence from Windward shows roughly 171 crude tankers en route—well above the typical monthly average of about 110. Market data firm Kpler reports that 28 Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), each capable of hauling up to 2 […]
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The global energy markets are in flux as of mid-April 2026, shaped by severe disruptions from the ongoing Middle East conflict (centered on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz). This has curtailed roughly 7–10 mb/d of crude, NGLs, and refined product exports in March–April, triggering sharp price spikes and inventory draws. Brent crude averaged $103/bbl […]
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By RFE/RL staff – Apr 15, 2026, 1:00 PM CDT Cargo shipments through Iran are delayed for weeks, forcing costly overland rerouting and supply chain disruptions Shipping costs and energy prices are surging, putting pressure on households and government budgets across the region Landlocked Central Asian economies face rising inflation and slower growth due to their heavy […]
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ENB Pub Note: This article was originally posted on America Outloud by Ronald Stein and Yoshihiro Muronaka, and we highly recommend signing up and reading their material. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Recent calls for a more realistic shift from “decarbonization” to “low carbon” suggest that discomfort with ideology-driven climate policy is finally beginning to surface in public debate. […]
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In just six weeks, the global energy paradigm has flipped. What a decade of climate summits, net-zero pledges, and green industrial policy could not achieve, Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz—and the raw reality of AI’s insatiable power hunger—has done in a flash. Energy security is no longer a side note; it is […]
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In a striking display of America’s emergence as the world’s premier energy supplier, at least 121 empty oil tankers are currently steaming toward U.S. waters — with 68 of them Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), each capable of hauling up to 2 million barrels of oil. This surge, captured in real-time MarineTraffic data and highlighted […]
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