Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces claimed a ballistic missile strike on the Saudi-flagged VLCC Amzan (IMO 9693745, Bahri-owned, approximately 320,926 deadweight tons, built 2014) in the northern Red Sea off Yanbu on August 24, 2026. The attack formed part of the group’s ongoing “siege for siege” campaign enforcing a maritime ban on Saudi-linked shipping, which began […]
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An Iran-linked cyberattack shut down a small-scale energy generator in the United Kingdom for four days in July 2026, marking what officials and reports describe as the first successful infiltration of a UK energy facility by Iranian-affiliated hackers. The incident, first detailed by The Telegraph and confirmed by UK authorities, involved no threat to the […]
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Hedge funds have sharply reduced their short-only positions on European diesel (ICE gasoil) to the lowest level in more than two years while adding fresh long positions, signaling that traders expect the current historic fuels supply crunch to persist. According to ICE Futures Europe data cited in reports of the Bloomberg story, funds cut short-only […]
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In a striking visual that feels pulled straight from a post-apocalyptic film set, the United Arab Emirates has completed the installation of massive metal “cope cages” over key oil and gas storage tanks in Abu Dhabi, with similar structures already in place or under construction near Dubai. These large steel mesh and framework enclosures are […]
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In an August 20, 2026, Bloomberg Opinion column, Javier Blas argued that “choking Iran’s economy is the least bad way to end the war.” Drawing on firsthand observations of sanctions-induced collapse in Iraq, Venezuela, and Cuba—worthless currencies, skyrocketing inflation, and soaring unemployment—Blas noted that pure economic pressure has historically failed to force political change. U.S. […]
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The oil market is sending mixed signals that traders and energy watchers cannot ignore. Futures prices—the “paper” side of the trade—have been surprisingly restrained even as physical barrels face ongoing constraints from the prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Diesel cracks are screaming tightness downstream, China has stepped back as the world’s swing buyer, […]
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The ambitious plan to build a major new crude oil export route from Iraq through Syria to the Mediterranean—explicitly designed to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz—will require at least four years of construction and an investment of $15 billion or more, according to sources directly involved in the project speaking to Reuters on […]
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This is rolling out on the ENB Podcast and the Energy Impacts Podcast with David Blackmon Welcome to Rate Payers First, where we cut through the noise on America’s energy crisis. Join host David Blackmon, Stu Turley, and Frm Representative Jason Isaac as we expose the policies destroying your wallet, threatening national security, and crippling […]
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As the Iran-U.S. conflict grinds toward the six-month mark in mid-August 2026, Tehran continues to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz—the critical chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG once flowed—while the United States maintains a naval blockade on Iranian ports and escalates economic pressure. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has signaled […]
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Geopolitical risks are colliding across multiple theaters in early August 2026, creating a perfect storm for energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz is flaring again, with Iranian loadings collapsing toward zero. Saudi Arabia’s Jazan refinery has been hit by Houthi drones for the second time in weeks. Ukraine continues deep strikes on Russian refining infrastructure, […]
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