Iran News

Oil prices zig-zagged between negative and positive territory on Friday as traders weighed supply disruptions against the potential restart of peace talks between the U.S. and Iran that could help limit those disruptions.Prices rose 2% earlier in the day on fears of renewed military escalation in the region after Iran released footage on Thursday of commandos boarding a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, and as progress stalled on re-opening the key waterway.Crude futures then…

BIMCO’s Jakob Larsen, Chief Safety & Security Officer, warns of a potential scam from parties claiming to be Iranian authorities and demanding toll:“BIMCO has received reports of an email scam, but we are still awaiting confirmation that this was in fact a scam. The fact that ships were attacked following apparent Iranian approval to transit underscores the complexity and volatility of the current security situation.”Iran is blockading the Strait of Hormuz against what they perceive as hostile ships.

Iran's use of a swarm of small, fast boats to seize two container ships near the Strait of Hormuz could undermine suggestions U.S. forces have disabled its naval threat and reveals the challenges facing reopening one of the world's most important oil export routes.U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday acknowledged that while Iran’s conventional navy had been largely destroyed, its "fast-attack ships" had not been considered much of a threat.He said any such vessels coming near a U.S.

Two container ships seized by Iran near the Strait of Hormuz with about 40 crew aboard have been taken toward the port of Bandar Abbas, sources said on Thursday, Tehran having vowed to retaliate after U.S. forces seized an Iranian vessel three days earlier.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the ships on Wednesday, one operated by MSC, the world's biggest container shipping group, and according to three sources, the other chartered by the firm."Some 20 Iranians armed to the teeth stormed the ship.

The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday.Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran's trade by sea while Iran has fired on ships to prevent them sailing through the Strait of Hormuz waterway at the entrance to the Middle East Gulf. Nearly two months after the U.S. and Israel began their war on Iran…

Oil prices pared gains on Tuesday after briefly climbing above $100 a barrel following an announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump that he was extending a ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.Brent crude futures were volatile, settling up about 3% on Tuesday and then climbing further to rise more than 5% to a session high of $101.15 after reports that U.S. Vice President JD Vance had called off his trip to Islamabad for peace talks with Iran.Prices later retreated…

Ships were largely avoiding the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after an escalation at the weekend in which Iran fired what appeared to be warning shots at vessels and the U.S. military seized an Iranian cargo ship.Just one ship exited the Gulf through the strait while two entered in the space of 12 hours, ship-tracking data showed on Monday, a fraction of what is usually about 130 vessels per day.The oil products tanker Nero, which is under British sanctions for Russia-related activities…

The Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, which was boarded and seized by U.S. forces on Sunday, is likely to have what Washington deems dual-use items that could be used by the military onboard, maritime security sources said on Monday.The small container ship, which is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group that has been hit with U.S. sanctions, was boarded on Sunday off the coast of Iran's Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman and last reported its position at 1308 GMT, according to ship-tracking data on the Marine Traffic platform.The U.S.

TUI Cruises said on Sunday that its Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz.In a statement posted on its website, the company said it had obtained approvals from relevant authorities, under careful consideration of the security situation.It said the ships would now proceed swiftly to the Mediterranean Sea.The cruise operator said that all passengers had previously been brought home and both ships were operating with reduced crews.

Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran might not hold after the U.S. said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Iran vowed to retaliate.Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the U.S. had hoped to kick off before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.The U.S. has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports…

Reliance Industries has rejected two Iranian oil cargoes as they failed to meet its compliance requirements, the Indian refiner said on Friday, just days before the expiry of a U.S. waiver that has lifted sanctions on Iranian oil exports.Last month, Washington issued 30-day waivers on U.S. sanctions allowing the purchase of Russian and Iranian oil at sea in an attempt to ease prices which soared after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday said the U.S.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the Strait of Hormuz was open following the agreement of a ceasefire in Lebanon, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he believed a deal to end the Iran war would come "soon", although the timing remains unclear.Araqchi said in a post on X the Strait was open for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the U.S.-brokered 10-day truce between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah agreed on Thursday between Israel and Lebanon.A…

All ships can sail through the Strait of Hormuz but this needs to be coordinated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary GuardCorps (IRGC), a senior Iranian official told Reuters, adding that unfreezing Iranian funds was part of the deal.Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on X that the strait was open after a ceasefire accord was agreed in Lebanon, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he believed a deal to end the Iran war would come "soon", although the timing remains unclear.The Iranian official said transits would be restricted to lanes that Iran deemed safe…

Iran could consider allowing ships to sail freely through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz without risk of attack as part of proposals it has offered in negotiations with the United States, providing a deal is clinched to prevent renewed conflict, a source briefed by Tehran said.The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has resulted in the largest-ever disruption of global oil and gas supplies due to Iran's interruption of traffic through the strait, which handles about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flows.Hundreds of tankers ‌and other ships and 20…

Iran can withstand a complete halt in oil exports of up to two months before being forced to curb production, analysts said, after the U.S. began blocking shipping in and out of the country's ports on April 13.The blockade could prevent roughly 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude from reaching its main buyer China.Any Iranian production shutdowns would add to more than 12 million bpd of supply already disrupted by the regional war, tightening markets further and lifting oil prices.With its exports blocked, Iran faces having to divert crude into onshore storage tanks.

More than 20 commercial ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing U.S. officials.Reuters could not immediately verify the report.Earlier on Tuesday, the U.S. military's Central Command said no ships have made it past a U.S. naval blockade of Iran's ports and coastal areas, and six merchant ships have followed orders to turn back.U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the U.S.

The U.S. will not renew a 30-day waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil at sea that expires this week, and quietly let a similar waiver on sanctions on Russian oil expire over the weekend, two administration officials told Reuters on Tuesday, as the U.S. imposes a blockade on shipments from Iranian ports.Tuesday's move signals that "Treasury is going full force on Economic Fury" on Iran, an apparent reference to Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led military campaign against the country…

"Since the beginning of the Iran war, global seaborne crude oil shipments have fallen 16% compared to the first nine weeks of 2026, according to Signal Ocean data. This represents a reduction of 7.6 million barrels per day (mbdp) to 38.4 mbpd. Coincidentally, shipments during the past six weeks have likewise been 16% lower than during the same period last year,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Before the Iran war, the U.S. Energy Information Administration had estimated global 2026 oil production to be 79.9 mbpd.

The U.S. military on Monday detailed the boundaries of its Strait of Hormuz blockade, saying it would extend east to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, while ship-tracking data showed two ships turned around in the strait as the blockade went into effect.In a note to seafarers about the blockade that seeks to take control of the strait away from Iran, the U.S. Central Command said: "Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception…

President Donald Trump said on Sunday the U.S. Navy would start blockading the Strait of Hormuz, raising the stakes after marathon talks with Iran failed to reach a deal to end the war, jeopardizing a fragile two-week ceasefire.The U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces would begin implementing the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) on Monday.It would be "enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas…

China and Russia on Tuesday vetoed a U.N. resolution encouraging states to coordinate efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the measure biased against Iran, while Washington's ambassador to the world body called on "responsible nations" to join the U.S. in securing the waterway.The 15-member Security Council voted 11 in favor of the resolution presented by Bahrain, with two against - China and Russia - and two abstentions.U.S. President Donald…

Shippers said on Wednesday they needed more clarity on the terms of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire before resuming transit through the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran issued fresh warnings about any vessels attempting to sail through the waterway.The six‑week conflict had brought traffic through the strait - a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments - close to a standstill, pushing global energy prices sharply higher.Iran said it would offer safe passage in coordination with its armed forces…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday about the need for a plan to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz "as quickly as possible," following a U.S. ceasefire with Iran, Downing Street said.Starmer discussed with Trump the UK's efforts to convene partners to agree to a "viable plan" on restoring freedom of navigation in the waterway."They agreed that now there is a ceasefire in place and agreement to open the Strait, we are at the next stage of finding a resolution…