… Oil prices have jumped about 12% so far this week due to limited oil flows out of the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran asking the Houthi movement to stand ready to shut the Red Sea export route. …
… Analysts say Iran has signalled it may use its Houthi allies in Yemen to shut the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea, opening a new front against Washington and putting a second of the world’s most vital energy arteries at risk. …
… the current geopolitical premium could gradually fade.” Elsewhere, Yemen’s Houthi movement fired missiles at Saudi Arabia after accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport under its control on Monday. “If the Houthis extend their attacks to Saudi’s crude products in the Red Sea …
… Some reports have referred to the use of Red Sea ports to receive various shipments, alongside allegations that the territories of certain countries in the region, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, have been used as transit points or temporary storage locations before some equipm …
… Over the last three years, Abiy has repeatedly spoken of his country’s need to regain access to a Red Sea port, which it lost when Eritrea became independent in 1993. …
… The news agency – which is affiliated with Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – also said Iran and its allies would “activate other fronts, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait” at the entrance of the Red Sea. …
… In 2024, undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea and West Africa disrupted connectivity across Africa, Europe, and Asia, costing Nigeria alone an estimated $590 million in economic losses. …
Smoke and flames were seen near Riyadh's main airport on Saturday following overnight alerts from Saudi civil defence warning of potential aerial attacks in the capital and Al-Kharj, amid escalating Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia since July.
Smoke and flames were seen near Riyadh's main airport on Saturday following overnight alerts from Saudi civil defence warning of potential aerial attacks in the capital and Al-Kharj, amid escalating Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia since July.
Residents in Riyadh received air raid alerts and explosions were reported in the Saudi capital after the Iran-backed Houthis escalated attacks. It was the first such alert in Riyadh since the Houthis declared a "maritime embargo" in July and seized control of the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island.
Brent crude and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures declined on Thursday as reports that Saudi Arabia is offering extra crude cargoes through Oman eased concerns over supply disruptions following attacks on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline to the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia's coalition spokesman said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening. The Houthis denied targeting the holy city, saying their operations target Saudi oil facilities and military bases, and accused Saudi Arabia of "fabrications and lies."
Oil prices fell on Wednesday after U.S. crude inventories rose unexpectedly by 7.1 million barrels, contrary to analyst expectations for a draw of 1.6 million barrels. Brent crude fell 0.86% to $107.82 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate fell 0.92% to $104.86 a barrel, as investors assessed supply risks following Saudi Arabia's suspension of oil loadings at Yanbu port after an attack on its East-West pipeline.
A regional diplomatic meeting between Iran and Persian Gulf powers, scheduled for Monday, was postponed "in the interests of consensus," according to Oman's foreign minister. The postponement came amid fresh attacks on Middle East oil transit routes and Saudi Arabia's closure of a 1,200-km pipeline damaged in drone strikes.
Maritime trackers reported a projectile hit a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, with the crew evacuated after a fire broke out. The incident follows Saudi Arabia's temporary closure of its East-West pipeline after a drone attack, raising concerns about global oil supply disruptions as Brent crude surges above $100 a barrel.
Saudi Arabia has closed its critical 1,200km East-West oil pipeline after drones launched from Iraq attacked it, following an admission from Iraq's government and the firing of a military commander. The pipeline has been moving 4% to 5% of global oil supply, and the closure comes amid wider Middle East tensions and Houthi advances in Yemen.
Oil prices have jumped to $105 a barrel as US-Iran conflict intensifies and the Strait of Hormuz faces effective closure, while US and UK long-term borrowing costs have surged to their highest level in decades. Analysts warn that rising energy and borrowing costs are placing pressure on financial markets and the global economy.
Yemen's Houthi movement has captured the Red Sea port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed pro-government forces, bringing the Iran-backed group closer to controlling the Bab al-Mandab strait, a key shipping route linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The seizure follows a Houthi offensive in the south-western coastal region that has killed hundreds and displaced thousands, amid escalating conflict with Saudi Arabia involving drone and missile strikes.
Brent crude futures held firm at $101.10 a barrel as Iran and the U.S. launched their largest attacks on shipping in their six-month-old conflict, with traders bracing for deeper supply disruptions. Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain far below pre-war levels, and Brent prices have surged nearly 30% from early August lows as a permanent ceasefire agreement failed to materialize.
Brent crude futures rose above $100 a barrel for the first time since late July as Iran and the U.S. escalated attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran reporting strikes on 10 ships and the U.S. sinking five Iranian oil tankers. Oil markets are reassessing expectations for how long supply disruptions from the region will persist.
Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest declared wave of attacks on shipping by both sides since a six-month-old war began. The attacks sent oil prices surging, with Brent crude breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July, and the U.S. average retail diesel price hit a fresh all-time high above $5.94 a gallon.
Brent crude climbed past $100 a barrel on Wednesday, driven by fresh US-Iran strikes and continuing Houthi attacks on Saudi facilities and Red Sea tankers. The price reflects the highest level since the Iran-US ceasefire collapsed in late July.
Brent crude oil futures surpassed $100 a barrel on Wednesday, a more than six-week high, amid intensifying Middle East conflict that threatens oil flows from the region. Prices have risen a quarter since early last month as the six-month-old U.S.-Iran conflict continues, with recent Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities and crude shipments via the Red Sea raising supply concerns.
At least 16 people were killed and 28 injured in a bus crash on a road between Dahab and Nuweiba in South Sinai on Wednesday morning. Jordanian nationals were among those killed; the cause remains unknown.
Oman says positive talks are underway with Iran over an agreement to secure a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, though Iran warns that any deal would not immediately reopen the waterway. Iran says reopening depends on other conditions, including US compensation for alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed a joint defence agreement stating that an attack on any of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all, announced at a meeting between their leaders in Mecca amid regional tensions.
Oil prices declined Thursday as Iran and Oman reported progress on talks regarding a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, with investors watching for signs of a broader U.S.-Iran peace deal. Brent crude fell 0.42% to $79.12 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate dropped 0.56% to $74.80 per barrel.
Iran says it has reached an agreement with Oman on a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, with geographical coordinates agreed in final stages. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman warned that the deal alone would not guarantee safe navigation, citing the US blockade of Iran's ports as a continuing security threat.
Oil prices fell to a three-week low as US officials announced progress in talks with Iran on reopening the Strait of Hormuz waterway. Brent crude dropped nearly 5% to under $80 a barrel, with US West Texas Intermediate also falling more than 5% to $76, both reaching their lowest levels since 13 July.
Oil prices rebounded 1% on Tuesday after a steep plunge, driven by concerns that Middle East supply remains at risk as diplomatic resolution to the U.S.-Iran war seems unlikely. Brent futures rose to $84.89 a barrel and WTI crude to $81.11, though Iran's Foreign Ministry rejected Trump's claims of ongoing negotiations to end the conflict over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a channel for about a fifth of global crude oil and natural gas shipments before the conflict.
President Trump said the U.S. will hold off on attacking Iran if a deal can be reached quickly to end Iran's nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, following requests from Iran and other Middle Eastern countries.
Brent crude fell $1.03 to $88 a barrel and U.S. WTI slipped $1.50 to $82.09 on Friday, despite rising Middle East tensions, as increased supplies flowed through the Strait of Hormuz and other maritime chokepoints. Both benchmarks are set to rise about 20% for the month.
Egypt's cabinet confirmed a drone attack caused a fire on Wednesday at the Mediterranean port of Damietta, affecting two ships—a US-owned floating storage vessel and a Greek-owned LNG tanker. No party has claimed responsibility, no casualties were reported, and the port continued operating at full capacity.
Brent crude fell 1.42% to $89.45 a barrel and U.S. WTI crude fell 0.66% to $83.90 a barrel on Thursday as tankers continued to move out of the Middle East despite escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. Shipping data showed 39 commodity ships passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait into the Red Sea on Tuesday, the highest number since July 19, as traders found alternative routes around the largely blocked Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia, which has largely avoided involvement in the US-Iran conflict since 28 February, has begun conducting joint strikes with the US on Iranian proxy militias in Iraq after being attacked from three sides. The kingdom now faces a choice between continuing retaliatory strikes as a deterrent or attempting to de-escalate through negotiation.
Economist Professor Williams Peprah has urged the government to explore closer energy cooperation with Nigeria to reduce Ghana's fuel import costs, citing global supply disruptions and longer shipping routes from geopolitical tensions as drivers of high petroleum prices.
Home heating oil prices in Northern Ireland surged from £346.59 to £445.37 per 500 litres in three weeks, a jump attributed to escalated fighting between the US and Iran. About two-thirds of Northern Ireland households rely on home heating oil, the highest proportion in any UK region.
Oil prices tumbled 4% on Monday after the U.S. and Iran paused strikes over the weekend following two weeks of attacks, raising hopes for diplomatic de-escalation and resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude fell to $92.82 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate to $85.29, both at their lowest levels in nearly a week.