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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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 first published on America Outloud, and both Ronald Stein and Professor Mische have been on the Energy News Beat Podcast. We are recording Professor Mische’s podcast shortly. With no crude oil pipelines over the Sierra Mountains, California is an energy island separated from the crude oil supply and the […]
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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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The Strait of Hormuz—the narrow 21-nautical-mile chokepoint between Iran and Oman that carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and a quarter of global LNG—remains the epicenter of one of the most significant energy disruptions in modern history. As of today, the strait is not fully closed to all traffic, but commercial shipping has ground […]
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In a significant development for global energy security, the United States has initiated military operations to clear and secure the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. Navy vessels now transiting the critical waterway amid ongoing tensions with Iran. This move comes as commercial shipping traffic remains a fraction of normal levels despite a fragile two-week ceasefire, […]
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The New York Times dropped a bombshell on April 10, 2026, that reads like a dark comedy sketch from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) playbook. According to U.S. officials cited in the report, Iran cannot fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz—the artery carrying roughly 20% of the world’s oil and a massive share of […]
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Goldman Sachs has issued a stark warning: if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed to normal tanker traffic for just one more month, Brent crude is on track to average more than $100 per barrel through the rest of 2026 — and potentially the full year. The note, released Thursday after a fragile two-week […]
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