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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US military surveillance has documented nearly 1,000 commercial vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz in the roughly two months since the US-Iran ceasefire took effect on April 8, 2026. The figure, shared by an official familiar with US Central Command operations, exceeds private-sector estimates that rely primarily on ship transponders (AIS data). Military analysts […]
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The Strait of Hormuz has long been the world’s most critical energy chokepoint—handling roughly 20 million barrels per day (b/d) of oil and a significant share of global LNG before the 2026 crisis. But Iran’s de facto closure of the strait since late February 2026, amid escalating conflict, has forced a permanent rethink. Even if […]
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