Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz escalated sharply this week with two reported attacks on commercial vessels, underscoring the vulnerability of one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. On June 25, the Singapore-flagged container ship M/V Ever Lovely (operated by Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine) was struck by what U.S. officials described as an Iranian drone […]
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Saudi Aramco has resumed crude oil loadings at its flagship Ras Tanura terminal in the Persian Gulf after a nearly four-month halt, marking a key step toward restoring normal export flows from one of the world’s most important oil hubs. Satellite imagery captured on June 26, 2026, by the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar satellite […]
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As tensions flare once again around the Strait of Hormuz—with recent incidents including a vessel struck off Oman’s coast and Iranian Revolutionary Guard warnings—Gulf oil producers are racing to secure alternative export routes. While the strait has historically carried nearly 20% of global seaborne oil trade, Iraq is moving decisively to reduce its vulnerability through […]
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As U.S. Vice President JD Vance touched down in Switzerland on June 21, 2026, for high-level peace talks with Iranian officials, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-linked military command announced a renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The move cites alleged Israeli violations of a fragile ceasefire in southern Lebanon and threatens further disruptions […]
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The United Arab Emirates is accelerating an ambitious strategy to achieve zero dependency on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints. This comes amid recent regional tensions and a temporary closure of the strait following the Iran-US conflict earlier in 2026. Bloomberg reports, citing an interview with UAE Minister of […]
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US physical crude prices are easing as the wartime risk premium fades and Middle Eastern barrels prepare to return to global markets. The shift comes amid clear signs of de-escalation in the US-Iran conflict, including the passage of Iranian tankers past the US naval blockade today and the resumption of flows through the Strait of […]
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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 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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Kuwait is actively pursuing pipeline routes to bypass the Strait of Hormuz as ongoing tensions have effectively choked off the Persian Gulf’s primary oil export artery. Sheik Nawaf Al-Sabah, Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Petroleum Corp. (KPC), the state-owned oil producer, disclosed the initiative during a conference in Washington on Tuesday. According to Sheik Nawaf, […]
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