Geopolitics And Regional Stability News

Iran and Oman have reached an understanding on the geographic coordinates for a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, and a joint announcement is being finalised, provided certain third parties did not interfere, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday.Baghaei added that any such agreement between Iran and Oman would not, by itself, guarantee security in the strategic waterway.The proposed deal between Iran and Oman would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz…

Major Gulf bourses ended lower on Thursday as investor sentiment weakened amid mounting concern over escalating hostilities between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. military said it struck dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard targets in Iran, including military command centres and drone facilities, in a two-hour operation launched after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at U.S. forces in the Middle East.On Wednesday, the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out strikes on Iran-backed paramilitary groups in Iraq, marking the first publicly acknowledged Saudi participation in U.S.-led airstrikes.

U.S. missiles struck targets across Iran, reaching as far as its Caspian coast, on Friday after President Donald Trump vowed "major military punishment" for Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen for extending the Middle East war to a second major shipping chokepoint, the mouth of the Red Sea.Two weeks after the collapse of an interim truce meant to end the war, the Iranian armed forces responded by firing at U.S. bases in neighbouring Arab countries and warning people there that they may strike non-military buildings used by U.S.

The insurance cost of shipping goods through the southern Red Sea doubled for some companies on Thursday, after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked at least one tanker overnight, sources said.The Houthis said their forces had carried out missile and drone strikes on Saudi oil tankers, the Encelia and the Layla. This worsened the turmoil for shipping in the region, with the Strait of Hormuz essentially shut down.Maritime security sources confirmed the strike on the Encelia, off the coast of the southern Saudi port of Jizan…

Russian wheat export prices surged last week amid difficult shipping conditions in the Black Sea and a new wave of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, analysts said on Monday.Forecasts for July wheat shipments from Russia continued to fall, even as domestic wheat prices declined sharply across all regions this week, they added, noting that weak demand at the Azov Sea and Volga terminals was impacting domestic prices.Shipping from Russia’s shallow-water ports on the Black Sea has remained restricted “for safety reasons” since July 10 amid drone strikes in the wider area…

The United States struck bridges and an airport in Iran on Friday, provoking Tehran to respond by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, as the warring foes risked further escalation by expanding their targets to include infrastructure.At sea, where the renewed conflict has again cut off energy supplies from the Gulf, U.S. Marines boarded a tanker near the Strait of Hormuz. Another vessel was seized by armed men off Yemen, raising concern over security in the Middle…

Oil prices edged lower on Thursday but held near the highest since mid-June as the Iran war escalated, with Tehran asking Yemen's Houthi movementto be prepared to close the Red Sea oil export route.Brent crude futures were down 19 cents, or 0.2%, to $84.76 a barrel by 11:25 a.m. EDT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were down 17 cents, or 0.2%, to $79.43 a barrel. At their session highs, both contracts were up more than 1%.On Wednesday, Brent futures settled at their highest since June 12…

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges, against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, trade conflicts, and operational disruptions, context handled 133.9 million tons of maritime goods in the first half of 2026, a decrease of 2.4% compared to the same period last year. While RoRo grew (+5.9%) and bulk remained virtually stable (-1.3%), the decrease was primarily situated in the general cargo segment, with container handling being the main factor. At the same time, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges maintained its market share in container handling and continued to invest in additional capacity…

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President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States was reinstating its blockade of Iranian shipping in the Gulf and would ensure the Strait of Hormuz stays open after the two sides exchanged more missile and drone attacks.The latest hostilities followed an announcement by Iran over the weekend that it was closing the strait, and cast further doubt on the viability of an interim deal to halt the war in the Middle East and drove oil prices higher."The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran.

Iranian oil supplies at sea are rising after Tehran ramped up exports during the interim peace deal with the United States, but sales have been slow as China's independent refiners have turned to cheaper crude from Iraq, the UAE and Qatar.The return of U.S. sanctions this week risks leaving Tehran with more cargoes searching for buyers just as shipments arrive in Asia.In recent weeks, independent Chinese refiners based in the eastern oil hub of Shandong, known as teapots, bought 16 million to 20.5 million barrels of crude from Qatar…

Oil prices eased on Thursday after earlier gains as markets assessed the escalating conflict between the U.S. and Iran and its implications for efforts to end the war and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Brent crude futures were down 11 cents, or 0.1%, to $77.91 a barrel at 1322 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped 38 cents, or 0.5%, to $73.14 a barrel.Brent and WTI crude futures hit their highest levels since June 22 on Wednesday.Still, New York Federal Reserve…

Oil prices jumped nearly 5% on Wednesday, hitting a two-week high after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that the United States will likely engage in additional strikes on Wednesday night after attacks the previous day, adding that they might take over Kharg Island as well.Brent crude futures were up $3.81, or 5.14%, to $77.97 a barrel at 1339 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $3.36, or 4.77%, to $73.80 a barrel. The benchmarks hit their highest levels since June 22 earlier in the session.Both rose about 3% on Tuesday after the U.S.

A Qatari LNG tanker remained stranded off Oman on Wednesday after a projectile strike sparked a fire in its engine room, though industry sources said the vessel's cargo appeared secure and the risk of an explosion was low for now.The attacks on the tankers prompted Washington to revoke a licence allowing Iran to sell oil and U.S. forces to strike Iranian targets overnight. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday an interim agreement to end the war with Iran was "over", comments that triggered a 5% jump in global oil prices.The U.S.

France and Britain will outline plans for a multinational maritime mission in the Strait of Hormuz at talks between NATO and Gulf Arab foreign ministers on Tuesday, but diplomats say Iran's rejection of the initiative makes it unlikely to break the deadlock over the vital waterway.The meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara will bring together ministers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates following weeks of tensions in the strategically important…

Oil prices fell more than 1% to a four-month low on Thursday as concerns over supply disruptions eased after mediator Qatar said Iran and the U.S. made progress in talks over ending the four-month war that shut the key shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.Brent futures were $1.03, or 1.44%, lower, at $70.54 a barrel at 10:54 a.m. CDT (1554 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 92 cents, or 1.34%, to $67.66 a barrel. During the session, both benchmarks hit their lowest…

The U.S. and Iran held indirect technical talks in Doha on Wednesday as they seek to agree on the flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire, a source with direct knowledge of the talks and an Iranian official said.The talks are based on a 14-point interim accord signed last month that was meant to halt the war that began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February and reopen the strait, while setting up 60 days of negotiations for a permanent peace deal.However, the U.S.

Oil prices fell on Wednesday as optimism over U.S.-Iran talks eased supply concerns after U.S. President Donald Trump said meetings in Qatar had gone well.Brent futures were down 95 cents, or 1.30%, to $72.00 a barrel at 0119 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was down 54 cents, or 0.78%, at $68.96 a barrel — its lowest since February 27."The negotiations that are currently taking place in Qatar are perceived as being positive (and) that has allowed prices to drift further…

Oil prices fell 4% on Monday after U.S. Vice President JD Vance said progress has been made in talks with Iran and that the Strait of Hormuz was open, easing supply concerns.Brent crude was down $3.18 or 3.95%, at $77.39 a barrel by 11:44 a.m. ET (1544 GMT) Prices had climbed to $82.30 at the start of trading because of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to restart the war on Iran, as well as an announcement from Tehran that it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz.U.S.

Oil prices gained more than 1% on Monday after attacks by the U.S. and Iran underscored the fragility of their interim peace deal, while cautious hopes of a continued recovery in energy shipping through the Strait of Hormuz limited gains.Iranian and U.S. technical teams working on the implementation of an interim peace deal are expected to meet in Doha in the coming days, a source told Reuters on Monday, after the tit-for-tat weekend strikes threatened to derail the accord.Brent crude futures were up 90 cents, or 1.25%, at $72.89 a barrel by 11:36 a.m. EDT (1537 GMT). U.S.

China's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, the Taiwanese defence ministry said, the first such mission in the sensitive waterway since April.Taiwan, which Beijing views as its territory, reports almost daily Chinese military activity around the island in what Taipei views as an ongoing pressure campaign against the democratically elected government.In a brief statement, the ministry said the Fujian had passed through the strait.The military used "joint intelligence…

The United States, Britain, France and Germany raised the alarm on Wednesday over recent Chinese activities off the east coast of Taiwan, where China has mounted Coast Guard patrols, saying they threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation.China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, sent Coast Guard ships earlier in June into the waters off the island's east coast for what it called a "special maritime traffic law-enforcement operation," angering…

Crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz rose this week to their highest level since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran began in February after a ceasefire deal reopened the waterway, data showed on Thursday.Concerns about how long the strait would stay open also boosted trade.Still, while there was an increase in oil shipments amid strong demand, especially in Asia after months of disruptions, overall sailings are still a fraction of the daily average of 125 ships passing…