Oil

Iraq delays July public salaries as Strait of Hormuz blockade guts oil revenue

Iraq’s oil exports plunged from 100 million barrels in February to around 32 million in May and June, according to figures shown to The National by the country’s Oil Ministry.

Shia Muslims gather along the Bayn al-Haramayn or "between the two sanctuaries", a 378-meter open marble-paved avenue linking the Imam Hussein Shrine and Imam al-Abbas Shrine, in the city of Karbala on August 4, 2026.
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 3, 2026.

Gulf shipping traffic steady amid uncertainty of peace talks, eight ships transit Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a bilateral meeting alongside the NATO leaders summit in Ankara, last month.

Trump’s Syria-Iraq pipeline plan aims to weaken Iran’s leverage - opinion

People walk down a street as Cuba's national power grid collapsed, marking the third major outage in nine days, in Havana, Cuba, July 14, 2026.

Cuba suffers islandwide power grid collapse as US oil blockade deepens energy crisis


Ukraine attacks Russian oil refinery 700 km deep into Russian territory

The strike in Yaroslavl is the latest attack on Russian oil facilities this year. Zelensky stated that Ukrainian forces had struck another oil refinery in Syzran for the eleventh time

A firefighter is seen on a site, as smoke billows from a fire at oil refinery, owned by Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft, in Moscow, Russia, November 17, 2018.

NATO not drawing up plans for Hormuz mission, top commander says

Any decision to launch a mission would require the approval of all NATO's 32 members, and several have already signaled opposition.

Gambia-flagged tanker vessel Bili is pictured anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, May 2, 2026.

US sanctions Iranian foreign currency exchange, international front companies

“Iran’s shadow banking system facilitates the illicit transfer of funding for terrorist purposes,” said Scott Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury.

A general view of the Treasury Building on day two of a partial government shutdown in Washington, DC, US, February 1, 2026.

Islamic regime launches Persian Gulf Strait Authority, ships reportedly start paying tolls

Ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz now face tolls and strict Iranian oversight as Tehran launches the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, with JPMorgan forecasting 11‑figure annual revenue from tolls.

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4, 2026.

Abu Dhabi sees leaving OPEC as a matter of national interest - opinion

The future of Emirati relations appears less tied to traditional binaries of friend and foe and more to the logic of the useful partner, the workable path.

  The OPEC logo pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria, September 28, 2016.

Kharg Island and the new energy war over Iran’s collapsing oil exports - opinion

Iran’s Kharg Island shows the hidden cost of sanctions: empty oil terminals, environmental damage, and mounting pressure.

A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. 2026

Trump says Xi agrees Iran must open Hormuz, China calls war unjustified

Following his Beijing summit, Trump says Xi supports reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while China calls the Iran war a conflict that “should never have happened.”

US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping arrive at state dinner, Great Hall of the People, Beijing, 2017.

Chinese supertanker breaks through US-Iran war blockade in Hormuz

The Chinese supertanker Yuan Hua Hu crosses the Strait of Hormuz after months of delay, carrying nearly 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude, as US-Iran tensions continue to shape the Gulf.

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, April 22, 2026.

In double trouble: Iran’s oil crisis – opinion

Given that the Islamic Republic’s lifeblood – oil – is being squeezed, it should learn from history that collapse always begins with a warning sign such as this one

A Satellite image shows a likely oil spill covering dozens of square kilometers near Iran’s Kharg Island, earlier this month.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa announces first cabinet reshuffle since Assad ouster - report

No official reason was given for the changes.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa gestures outside 10 Downing Street, after meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in London, Britain March 31, 2026.