Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that its forces targeted Saudi Aramco’s Jazan (also spelled Jizan) oil refinery on the Red Sea coast in southwest Saudi Arabia with “a number of drones.” A Houthi military source told the group’s Saba news agency the strike was “precise” and conducted in response to […]
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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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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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Iraq’s state oil marketer SOMO has confirmed that Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is among the buyers of its crude, with cargoes exiting via the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing regional conflict and severe disruptions to normal shipping. Ali Nizar, director-general of SOMO, stated in a text message that “Adnoc is one of the […]
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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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For years, the dominant energy narrative has been a single, heavily marketed story: the world is undergoing an inevitable, morally urgent transition away from fossil fuels toward wind, solar, and battery storage. Climate activists, aligned media, and policymakers have framed this as both destiny and imperative. As David Blackmon observed in his August 2, 2026, […]
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Iran-backed militias operating from Iraqi territory launched drone attacks targeting oil facilities in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, according to Saudi authorities. The incidents add pressure on the kingdom’s energy infrastructure amid ongoing regional tensions and constraints on its crude oil export routes. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry […]
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ENB Pub Note: This article was first published on the Energy News Beat Substack. Head over there to comment. Tough times ahead, and countries are picking sides. The world’s energy system is under simultaneous assault from geopolitics and policy ideology. Critical oil and gas flows through maritime and pipeline chokepoints are disrupted or rerouted at […]
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This article first ran on The Energy News Beat Substack – Head over there to comment. The global oil market is once again being reshaped by simultaneous disruptions across multiple critical maritime and pipeline choke points. As of late July 2026, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal routes, and Caspian-linked export corridors […]
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Oil markets are back on edge. Brent crude has surged above $90 per barrel for the first time in weeks, driven by a fresh attack on a Kuwaiti tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and renewed fighting between the United States and Iran. Early Tuesday (July 21, 2026), the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported […]
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