Energy infrastructure events

Reuters: record 37 tanker attacks in Strait of Hormuz in October

Reuters reported Nov 10, citing Washington Institute for Near East Policy data, that as many as 37 vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz in October, a record for the war. The figure adds to the IMO's separate count of at least 130 commercial-vessel incidents and 25 seafarers killed in the Middle East since the war began, underlining continued risk to shipping even as oil prices eased earlier in the week.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

IMO warns of mounting seafarer toll from attacks on shipping near Hormuz, Red Sea, Black Sea

The International Maritime Organization said at least 130 incidents involving commercial vessels have been confirmed since the Iran war began, with 25 seafarers killed in the Middle East, most recently aboard the tanker Velos Sapphire. It also condemned Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab and Russian attacks on shipping and ports supporting Ukraine's Black Sea corridor, and called on member states to keep shipping lanes open and avoid unlawful acts endangering vessels and crews.

Related: Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb

Russia takes ownership of two Chinese heavy-lift ships that supplied its sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project

The heavy-lift carriers Bright and Glory, previously owned by China's Guangdong Nan Feng Shipping and used to ferry modules for Novatek's sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, now show as Russian-flagged and owned by Russia's Eco Shipping LLC on AIS and the Equasis vessel registry. The ships had sailed with transponders off across the Northern Sea Route in September to deliver power-generation modules to the project's Utrenniy terminal; bringing them under Russian ownership gives Moscow more direct control of the project's shipping logistics as it tries to keep LNG trains running under Western sanctions.

Iraq says it reached understandings with US to keep oil exports moving through Hormuz

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Al Jazeera that Baghdad has reached understandings with Washington to keep Iraqi crude moving through the Strait of Hormuz via a shipping lane near Oman. He put Iraq's combined losses from the Iran war and the export disruptions at $60 billion. Iraqi energy officials said exports recovered in October to about 3.5 million barrels a day, up from 2.65 million bpd in September, after a sharp drop the month before. Reuters could not independently confirm the terms of the arrangement.

Related: Basra Oil Terminal (Al Basrah / Khor al-Amaya), Rumaila

Egypt deepens gas cuts to fertilizer plants to 33% as import costs squeeze budget

Abu Qir Fertilizers disclosed to the Egyptian Exchange that its natural gas allocation was cut 33%, effective Nov 8, up from a 20% cut announced about a week earlier; KIMA and other producers reported similar reductions. Egypt's government has been diverting gas away from industry to cut costly LNG imports as wartime energy prices strain its budget, alongside a 30% cut to the government's own fuel use and a 20% cut to its electricity use. Misr Fertilizers Production Co. (MOPCO) said its own operations continue uninterrupted.

Trafigura, Vitol, Mercuria, ADNOC seek US licenses for sanctioned tankers

Bloomberg reported that at least four companies — Trafigura, Vitol, Mercuria and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. — are in talks with the US Treasury for licenses to buy or lease US-blacklisted tankers, covering about 50 of the roughly 1,600 vessels currently under US sanctions (462 of them crude tankers, as of Nov 4). No decisions have been finalized, and any license would apply only to US sanctions; the EU and UK maintain separate lists. The move follows Energy Secretary Chris Wright's October announcement letting investors refurbish idled sanctioned tankers for legal crude transport, part of the response to a shortage of vessels and record freight rates since the war disrupted shipping.

Iran's Guards claim two more tankers mined near Hormuz; state media suggests blasts weren't US strikes

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said two oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines on an "unauthorized route" through the Strait of Hormuz on Nov 7, and Fars News later reported a third tanker suffered an explosion and caught fire (IRGC and Fars claims, unverified). Blasts were separately heard across southern Iran that evening, including on Qeshm Island, where Tasnim reported two missile impacts with no official damage assessment; Iranian state television said no missile strikes on Iranian territory had been confirmed and suggested the explosions could be linked to Iran's own military activity in the strait rather than a US attack. Reuters said it could not independently confirm any of the reported strikes. Separately, UKMTO reported an incident involving a bulk carrier and military forces about 18 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan, UAE, with damage unknown — the same area and day as the US military's disabling of a cargo vessel reported Nov 7, though it is unclear if they are the same incident.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

US forces disable cargo ship breaching Iran blockade in Gulf of Oman

US Central Command said a US military aircraft fired precision munitions at the stern of a St Kitts-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman on Nov 7, disabling it after its crew repeatedly ignored warnings not to breach the US naval blockade on Iran; the vessel had called at an Iranian port. CENTCOM reported no casualties and said it is forming a new task force to counter Iran's movement of weapons and other sanctioned materials across its land borders and the Caspian Sea. President Trump has separately threatened a renewed offensive against Iran, which has threatened retaliation against Gulf energy infrastructure.

Iranian oil exports near zero under US blockade; FGE sees deal unlikely soon

Bloomberg vessel-tracking data showed Iran loaded no crude for export in September or October, the first such gap since the war began in February, as the US naval blockade has throttled flows. The nonprofit United Against Nuclear Iran counted at least 54 tankers carrying Iranian oil and petroleum products idling offshore, plus about 11 LPG carriers that have passed the blockade. FGE Chairman Emeritus Fereidun Fesharaki told Bloomberg TV a near-term deal to end the war is unlikely — "we are even worse than we were before the June MOU" — and estimated roughly 200,000-300,000 b/d of Iranian oil still reaches the market via Iraq, an unconfirmed routing he did not detail further.

Trump: US hit Iranian air-defense system on Qeshm Island, calls it 'minor'

President Trump said US forces carried out a new, limited strike on Nov 6 targeting an Iranian air-defense system on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, distinct from a separate US strike there on Nov 2. Speaking after arriving in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump called the action "minor" and said it knocked out the system in "about 15 minutes, maybe five." Iranian state media reported two explosions in Qeshm's Suza area; no casualties were reported, and the Pentagon did not detail the target. CENTCOM has not ordered a return to major combat, and the strike came as Tehran reviewed a Qatari-mediated proposal on its nuclear program.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Oil swings on escalation risk; Rapidan sees 80% odds of renewed Iran fighting

Brent fell almost 9% on Nov 4 after Democrats' midterm win, rebounded 3.9% to a $98.29 settlement on Nov 5, then eased slightly to about $98.19 on Nov 6 (Bloomberg, via Rigzone; Trading Economics). Rapidan Energy Group's Bob McNally told CNBC he sees an 80% probability that US-Iran military fighting resumes, citing the unresolved dispute over Iran's nuclear program, and said both benchmarks could climb back above $100/bbl if tensions flare; Lombard Odier's Samy Chaar and Luca Bindelli were reported to share that view.

Seafarer killed in suspected missile attack on tanker in the Gulf

One seafarer was killed when an explosion, believed to have been caused by a missile attack, struck the Marshall Islands-flagged products tanker MT Velos Sapphire as it sailed unladen toward Bahrain in the Gulf on Nov 5, its manager Velos Tankers said. The crew extinguished the resulting fire; no pollution was reported, and the vessel was taken to Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Bahrain for an investigation into the hull damage. No party has claimed responsibility.

Iran sends nuclear proposal to US via Qatar, Reuters reports

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran has sent a new proposal on its nuclear program to Washington through Qatari mediators, per Bloomberg's report of the Reuters account, as markets priced in hopes of easing tensions. The New York Times separately reported Iran is reviewing proposals mediators have presented on the nuclear issue. Qatar's foreign ministry has said both sides remain committed to the mediation process.

Iran's Guards, army claim more tankers hit mines near Hormuz; tolls diverge again

Iran's Revolutionary Guards told Fars News that a tanker struck a mine on an "illegal passageway" south of the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire, and that a supertanker and the tugboat that approached to help also caught fire. Iran's army separately told IRNA that one tanker hit a mine early on Nov 5 east of the strait and two more around midday, revising an earlier same-day count of three. Neither account has been independently confirmed, continuing a pattern of inconsistent Iranian tolls.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

NYT: thousands of US forces positioned to resume major combat against Iran

The New York Times reported on Nov 4, citing unnamed Pentagon officials, that thousands of US air and naval forces are positioned to resume major combat operations against Iran if President Trump orders it. Iranian leaders warned of repercussions if the US or Israel take further military action; Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said there should be "not the slightest inclination toward submission" to Washington, and IRGC Ground Force commander Brig. Gen. Mohammad Karami said continued Iranian action would bring further "victories."

UKMTO: tanker struck by projectiles north of Qatar's Madinat ash-Shamal

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker was struck by two unidentified projectiles about 50 nautical miles north of Madinat ash-Shamal, Qatar, at 23:20 GMT on Nov 4. UKMTO did not identify the vessel or its flag, and no group claimed responsibility. UKMTO said most ships now decline to report attacks at all, so its count likely understates the true toll.

Oil tumbles as Democrats win Congress; Trump, Vance link losses to Iran war

Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in the Nov 3 midterms. Vice President Vance said "the reason we lost is the war," and President Trump called it "largely true" that the Iran war, through higher gasoline prices, cost Republicans votes. Brent crude extended its slide, closing below $100/bbl on Nov 4 for the first time since late September and easing further to about $96/bbl on Nov 5 (Trading Economics), down roughly 16% for the week as traders priced in reduced political pressure to keep the war going. Trump told the Financial Times Washington has no immediate plans for new strikes on Iran.

Iran's Guards claim more tankers mined south of Hormuz; tolls inconsistent

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said on Nov 3 that three oil tankers struck naval mines and caught fire after disabling their AIS and using an unauthorized route south of the Strait of Hormuz, per the ISW/CTP Iran Update. Iranian media cited the IRGC a day later saying four tankers had been destroyed by mines in the same area and that two further vessels were detained, a toll that does not match the prior day's claim. Neither version has been independently confirmed by UKMTO or any other independent source.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Rezaei calls US reply to Hormuz reopening terms 'unconvincing'

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said in a social media post on Nov 3 that Washington's response to Iran's seven conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz fell short, adding the strait would reopen only once the US "fully and explicitly" addresses those conditions. Qatar's foreign ministry said mediation continues and both sides remain committed to the process.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

UKMTO: tanker's engine room hit by two projectiles off Oman's Limah

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said two unidentified projectiles struck a tanker's engine room on Nov 3 about 14 nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz. No casualties were reported and no group has claimed responsibility.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Aramco CEO: exploring East-West Pipeline expansion, more storage abroad

Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser told Reuters the company is exploring additional export routes and overseas storage capacity, including a possible expansion of the East-West Pipeline, which can carry up to 7 million b/d of crude to Red Sea terminals bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Nasser said more than 130 attacks on tankers have been reported during the war and that Gulf-to-Asia freight rates have risen more than 15-fold from a year earlier. The comments came as Aramco reported third-quarter net profit up more than a third.

Related: East-West Pipeline (Petroline)

US forces strike Iran's Qeshm Island, officials call it defensive

A US official confirmed to Reuters that US forces struck Iran's Qeshm Island, the largest island in the Strait of Hormuz, on Nov 3. Officials described it as a defensive response to Iran firing surface-to-air missiles at US assets; the Wall Street Journal reported the US has carried out periodic, unannounced "limited strikes" for several weeks to avoid signaling a return to major combat. A senior Iranian official told Reuters the two sides remain far from a deal and that Iran would respond forcefully to further US action; Iran's parliament speaker said Tehran had given Washington a "strong response" and the "ball is in the US court." No casualties or specific targets were independently confirmed.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

IRGC fires on US jet near Qeshm; US intercepts missile aimed at shipping

US officials told the Wall Street Journal that Iran's IRGC fired a surface-to-air missile at a US fighter jet near Qeshm Island on Nov 2, and the US aircraft returned fire in self-defense; the jet's model and mission were not disclosed. Separately that day, US forces intercepted an IRGC missile launched from Qeshm Island that was targeting commercial shipping, per the same officials. ISW/CTP said available reporting does not establish whether the launch was linked to earlier unconfirmed reports of US strikes near Jask (29 Oct) and Sirik (22 Oct).

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Trump signals more time for Iran diplomacy before US midterms; oil drops 3%+

Axios reported, citing sources, that Trump told Israeli PM Netanyahu by phone he wants to give diplomacy with Tehran more time before considering further strikes. Secretary of State Rubio said Oct 31 no decision had been made on new strikes and that Trump prefers a diplomatic resolution; Trump told reporters the US would end the war "one way or the other." Brent and WTI each fell more than 3% on Nov 2, two days before the Nov 3 US midterm elections.

UKMTO reports another vessel struck by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Nov 1, with the mayday call relayed by the master of a nearby merchant vessel. No casualties, damage extent, or responsible party have been reported.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Qatari mediation stalls; Iran says no talks unless US accepts its terms

Qatari mediators held more than 12 hours of talks with Iranian officials in Tehran on Oct 30 and in Doha on Oct 31 while staying in contact with Washington, per the ISW/CTP Iran Update. A diplomatic source said the US and Iran have not agreed to resume direct talks, and no date has been set for a US delegation to Doha. Iran's foreign minister said Tehran is studying Qatar's proposals but sees no need for talks unless the US accepts Iran's terms.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Iran's regular navy claims another tanker hit mines east of the strait

Iran's Artesh (regular army) Navy said a tanker caught fire on Oct 31 after striking mines east of the Strait of Hormuz. The ISW/CTP Iran Update said the claim could not be matched to UKMTO's logged incidents from Oct 28 and 30, and assessed that Iran's mine claims have often been misleading.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

IMO: at least 30 ships hit in Hormuz region in October, double September's rate

The International Maritime Organization recorded at least 30 vessels, mostly oil tankers, struck in and around the Strait of Hormuz in October through 27 October, injuring at least 16 seafarers, per CNBC's report of IMO figures. That is double the 15 confirmed incidents IMO logged in September and the most of any month since the war began on 28 February (confirmed: IMO data, via CNBC).

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Oman's navy rescues 25 crew from tanker RITI after it was attacked and caught fire

Oman's Maritime Security Centre said its navy evacuated 25 crew members from the Panama-flagged tanker RITI after it was targeted and caught fire off Oman's coast on 30 October; the crew received medical care. No casualties were reported and no group has claimed responsibility (confirmed: Oman Maritime Security Centre, via AFP).

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Tanker hit by projectile and set on fire off Iran's Lavan Island, UKMTO says

UKMTO reported a separate incident on 30 October in which an unknown projectile struck a tanker about 40 nautical miles south of Iran's Lavan Island, sparking a fire; the crew were reported safe. No group claimed responsibility, and the incident is distinct from the RITI attack off Oman the same day (confirmed: UKMTO, via AFP).

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Qatari mediators return to Tehran with revised proposal to end Iran-US war

Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on 30 October for a new round of talks aimed at ending the Iran-US war; CBS News, citing a source, reported signs of progress and said Iran was expected to respond to a revised Qatari proposal by the end of the week. Axios reported the sides remain divided over nuclear-site inspections, sanctions relief and the conditions for formally opening negotiations; no agreement has been reached (reported: CBS, Axios, via Euronews).

Reports: US warned Gulf allies to prepare for intensified campaign against Iran after midterms

The Wall Street Journal reported, per CNBC, that Washington told Gulf nations to prepare for a short, intense military campaign against Iran after the 3 November US midterm elections; CNBC said it had not independently confirmed this. Axios and AP, citing diplomats, separately reported a similar warning to regional allies, corroborating the New York Times' 21 October report of US-Israeli strike planning. Officials told AP no final decision had been made (reported: WSJ, Axios, AP, via CNBC/Euronews; plans not yet executed).

Tanker hit by small-boat explosives in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO says

UKMTO said a small boat came alongside a tanker about 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Khasab, in the Strait of Hormuz, and attached two explosive devices to its hull on 29 October. The blasts started a fire in the engine room that briefly disabled the vessel; UKMTO said the fire was extinguished, the crew were safe, there was no environmental impact, and the ship continued to its next port of call (confirmed: UKMTO via Reuters/Arab News). No group claimed responsibility.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Guards and army claim mine strikes on four tankers in and near Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said three tankers caught fire after striking mines in the Strait of Hormuz on 29 October, and Iran's regular army separately said a fourth vessel struck a mine further east while operating in what it called a "restricted and dangerous area" (IRGC and army claims, unverified). Neither claim has been independently confirmed by UKMTO, a tracker or any other independent source.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Fire breaks out near Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura export terminal after attack

Saudi authorities contained a fire near Ras Tanura, Aramco's largest crude export terminal, after an attack in the area early on 27 October; Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the matter, said the extent of the damage was not immediately clear and that Aramco and Saudi Arabia's energy ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment (reported: Bloomberg via Türkiye Today, The Edge Malaysia). The Saudi-led coalition separately said it intercepted three ballistic missiles aimed at the Eastern Province and four drones aimed at southern Saudi Arabia the same day, without linking the intercepts to the Ras Tanura incident; no group had claimed responsibility for the attack itself.

Related: Ras Tanura Terminal

Houthis claim new strikes on East-West pipeline, Riyadh airport hours after reopening

Yemen's Houthis said on 26 October they struck pumping stations on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline and fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, hours after the airport resumed limited flights; Saudi Arabia and Aramco did not confirm either claim (unverified: Houthi claim). The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted the missile aimed at Riyadh and destroyed Houthi missile launchers near Sanaa. Brent and WTI fell on the day on profit-taking after the previous week's rally, even as the unconfirmed claims kept a geopolitical premium in the market.

Related: East-West Pipeline (Petroline)

JMIC: Hormuz transits fall to about a quarter of normal, ~492 ships now waiting

The multinational Joint Maritime Information Center recorded just 101 transits through the Strait of Hormuz over 22-24 October, about a quarter of the roughly 138/day pre-war baseline, and 58 through Bab el-Mandeb over the same period, against a baseline near 61/day. JMIC said about 492 vessels were waiting outside Hormuz as of 25 October — roughly 194 near Fujairah/Khor Fakkan, 178 off Dubai, 55 near Musandam/Sohar and 32 off Bandar Abbas/Qeshm — and expects the backlog to persist. UKMTO separately logged 18,049 anomalous AIS positions in the Gulf in its 23 October weekly overview, and ship-tracker Windward reported 293 vessels affected by GPS jamming on 21 October (confirmed: JMIC, UKMTO, Windward, via Gulf News).

Related: Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb

Houthi missile barrage hits Riyadh and Yanbu area; King Khalid airport reopens

Saudi-led coalition air defenses intercepted Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and the Yanbu area on 24 October, then a ballistic missile and two drones aimed at Riyadh and a cruise missile toward Khamis Mushait air base on 25 October; falling debris from intercepts injured two people and damaged buildings near Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, shut since a Houthi strike killed 13 people on 10 October, broadly reopened on 25 October. No damage to Aramco's Yanbu facilities was reported (confirmed: Saudi-led coalition statements via Reuters and AFP).

Related: Yanbu Terminal

Oil leak off UAE coast forces beach closures in three emirates

The UAE said it was working to contain oil leaking from an unidentified tanker offshore; Ras Al Khaimah closed all its beaches on 24 October, a day after Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah's Al Hamriyah Beach were closed as precautions, with residents in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain reporting unusual odors. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said it was assessing the spill's extent and that the odors pose no health risk; no vessel has been identified as the source, and no link to any specific earlier tanker incident has been confirmed (confirmed: UAE government statements, Reuters).

Record tanker rates threaten to push US oil exports to Asia to 7-year low

Leasing a tanker for the US Gulf Coast-to-China route hit nearly $60 million by late October, after touching a record $79.6 million earlier in the month, up from under $8 million before the war, Baltic Exchange data show. Valero's head of oil trading, Randy Hawkins, said freight, insurance and ship-to-ship transfer costs tied to the Iran war are now the market's main story; Vortexa data showed November US crude orders for Asia down roughly 50% month over month, which, if it holds, would be a seven-year low. Permian export premiums at the Magellan East Houston hub have fallen from more than $3 to 25 cents over benchmark futures as high freight costs erode US crude's competitiveness in Asia (confirmed: Bloomberg reporting; Baltic Exchange, Kpler and Vortexa data).

Aramco seeks overseas storage deals to shore up supply resilience

Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser told Al Arabiya the company is negotiating with foreign governments for Aramco to use their strategic oil storage, aiming to double its existing overseas commercial storage in South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands and Egypt's Sidi Kerir hub; he gave no timetable or current capacity figure. Nasser linked the move to continuing Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure, including the Shaybah oilfield strike that killed two contractors on 21 October, and said Aramco is also studying raising crude flow from the Gulf to the Red Sea from 7 to 10 million b/d (confirmed: Aramco CEO statement, reported by Bloomberg).

Related: East-West Pipeline (Petroline)

QatarEnergy signs long-term deal for up to 4 mtpa of US LNG from Cheniere

QatarEnergy signed two long-term sale-and-purchase agreements with US developer Cheniere Energy for up to 4 million tonnes a year of LNG — 2 mtpa each from Cheniere's Sabine Pass (Louisiana) and Corpus Christi (Texas) terminals — with deliveries running from 2031 through 2054, priced off the Henry Hub benchmark plus a fixed fee. The deal gives QatarEnergy a supply source outside the Gulf after Iranian missile strikes destroyed two LNG trains (12.8 mtpa, about 17% of capacity) at its Ras Laffan complex in March; the company has said repairs could take three to five years and cost roughly $20bn a year in lost revenue. One mtpa of the Sabine Pass volume depends on a final investment decision for an expansion phase there (confirmed).

Related: Ras Laffan LNG

IEA: Gulf-to-Asia oil shipping costs top $37/bbl, over 5x pre-war

The International Energy Agency said freight costs for moving crude from the Middle East Gulf to Asia rose above $37 a barrel by mid-October, more than five times pre-war levels, with a VLCC cargo now costing over $74 million to ship versus under $15 million before the war. The IEA described the improvised network of expanded bypass pipelines, short-haul tanker shuttles and Gulf of Oman ship-to-ship transfers that sustains flows as 'expensive, inefficient and dangerous.' Despite roughly 30 reported attacks on vessels in October, Kpler data cited by the Wall Street Journal put Gulf oil flows, including offshore transfers, at about 82% of pre-war levels, with the share of regional exports bypassing Hormuz entirely rising from about 17% before the war to 40% by September (confirmed: IEA analysis; WSJ/Kpler data).

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Iran claims seven vessels struck near Hormuz; Trump calls it faked, JMIC finds no substantiation

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy said four vessels doing ship-to-ship transfers in the northern Persian Gulf were struck simultaneously on 21 October and that three more hit naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, without naming any vessel, owner or casualty. President Trump accused Iran on Truth Social of ‘making up fake hits, mines, and everything else’ to raise oil prices before the 3 November midterms. Neither claim is independently verified: UKMTO has issued no matching incident report, and the Joint Maritime Information Center said on 18 October there was 'no substantiation' for recent Iranian mine claims, while continuing to rate the strait's threat level SEVERE (unverified: claims by parties to the conflict).

Related: Strait of Hormuz

US sanctions Greek law firm, shipping agents and nine vessels in Iran shadow-fleet crackdown

The US Treasury sanctioned the Panama- and Greece-based law firm Karnakis and Karnakis and five associates, ship manager Roxette Maritime Shipping and Trading, and shipping agents Amigoz Singapore and Dubai-based Whales Shipping Line, along with nine vessels they operate, for setting up shell structures and providing port and bunkering services that moved Iranian-origin oil, petrochemicals and steel past US sanctions. The action is part of Treasury's 'Operation Economic Outcast,' launched 24 August to cut off Iran's remaining export revenue; Treasury also opened a Financial Crimes Enforcement Network investigation into a Greek bank's possible ties to Iran, issuing its first Bank Secrecy Act subpoena in that probe. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said 'if you are supporting the Iranian regime, we will find you and sanction you' (confirmed: US Treasury action, reported independently).

NYT: US, Israel reportedly planning renewed strikes on Iran after Nov 3 midterms

The New York Times reported, citing unnamed US officials, that the US and Israeli militaries have drawn up plans for a short, intensive operation against Iran to launch after the 3 November US midterm elections; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly discussed the plans with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Axios had separately reported on 19 October that Israeli jets and refuelling tankers approached the Iranian border before turning back. CENTCOM has not confirmed any new strike plans. President Trump said on 23 October that the US was not negotiating with Tehran and that 'something' would happen 'fairly soon.' Oil benchmarks rose on the reports, with Brent settling at its highest since 29 April (reported: single-outlet report of officials' plans, not yet executed).

Houthi drone strike near Aramco's Shaybah oilfield kills two, Saudi ministry says

A drone aimed at a processing plant at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield, in the Eastern Province, was intercepted by Saudi air defences on the night of Oct 21, but its debris struck a contractor's vehicle outside the plant's perimeter and started a fire, Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said. A Filipino and a Nepali contractor were killed and a Pakistani and an Indian contractor were injured; the ministry said oilfield operations were unaffected. Arab News and other outlets attributed the strike, and a same-night attack on Dammam's King Fahd International Airport that killed two more people, to the Iran-aligned Houthis, part of a widening campaign against Saudi energy and civilian sites (confirmed).

Related: Shaybah

US orders non-emergency diplomats and families to leave Saudi Arabia

The US State Department ordered non-emergency government employees and their families at its missions in Saudi Arabia to depart, spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, citing escalating Houthi attacks on civilian targets including Riyadh's main airport. US officials told Reuters that family members at other Gulf missions may also be told to leave. The Riyadh embassy, already running with reduced staff since an earlier strike, issued a security alert warning of further possible Houthi attacks (confirmed).

UKMTO: ship attacks near the Arabian Peninsula top 32 in October, already double September's count

The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre has recorded 32 attacks on commercial vessels around the Arabian Peninsula so far in October, versus 16 for all of September, even as Middle East oil flows have recovered toward pre-war levels on bypass routes. Most tankers in the area now transit with their AIS tracking signals off, making precise counts difficult.

Related: Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb

Kpler: total Middle East oil flows match pre-war levels as bypass routes absorb Hormuz shortfall

Preliminary Kpler ship-tracking data showed combined oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman ship-to-ship transfers, Fujairah and Omani terminal loadings, and Red Sea exports averaged more than 24.5 million b/d in the week to Oct 18, edging above the 24.4 million b/d Kpler recorded for the week before the war began (ending Feb 22). The figure excludes Iran's own exports, which Kpler has tracked at zero since September.

Related: Strait of Hormuz, East-West Pipeline (Petroline), Habshan–Fujairah Pipeline

Houthis claim strikes on Aramco's Yanbu site and the Shaybah oil field

Yemen's Houthis said they carried out missile and drone strikes on an Aramco facility at Yanbu, the Shaybah oil field, and airports in Riyadh and Abha. Reuters reported there was no immediate Saudi confirmation of the claims and could not independently verify them (Houthi claim, unverified).

Related: Yanbu Terminal, Shaybah

US to let sanctioned 'dark fleet' tankers rejoin legitimate oil trade

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US is running an approval process to let investors buy and refurbish sanctioned oil tankers so they can carry non-sanctioned crude, after Gulf-to-Asia freight rates surged to more than six times pre-war levels. Wright said the vessels "will not carry sanctioned oil anymore" and estimated up to 1,600 tankers sit in the global sanctioned fleet; he rejected characterizing the move as lifting sanctions. It follows an Oct 8 Treasury action designating 55 parties tied to Iran's remaining shadow fleet.

Qatari LNG cargo takes rare Red Sea route as a tanker is fired on nearby

A Qatari LNG carrier loaded in August sailed north through the Red Sea, with ship-tracking data suggesting it was headed to Poland, Bloomberg reported — a route most LNG and container ships have avoided since 2023 in favor of the longer Cape of Good Hope detour. Separately, UKMTO reported a skiff fired on an LNG tanker southeast of Al Mukalla in the Gulf of Aden; the tanker's security team returned fire and the vessel continued its voyage. The cargo moved as European gas prices sit near a four-year high and EU storage is at its lowest for the season in over a decade.

Related: Ras Laffan LNG, Bab el-Mandeb

Russian Arctic oil exports to Asia already exceed last year's total

Russian crude shipments via the Northern Sea Route reached about 20 million barrels to Asian buyers from the start of the July-October navigation season through mid-October, up nearly 50% on the 13 million barrels shipped in all of 2025, Reuters reported, citing traders and shipping data. Gazprom Neft expects its own Northern Sea Route shipments to rise about 35% in 2026. Traders tied the increase partly to disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and Black Sea pushing some cargoes toward the Arctic route instead, alongside milder ice conditions.

Tugboat damaged by projectiles northeast of Khor Fakkan, UAE

UKMTO reported two unknown projectiles struck a tugboat transiting the Strait of Hormuz northeast of Khor Fakkan on Oct 18, damaging the vessel and injuring one crew member; the tugboat continued on its route. The ISW/Critical Threats Project assessed Iran likely carried out the attack. Tugboats support the ship-to-ship transfers that Gulf shippers increasingly use to move cargo around Iran's claimed control of the strait.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Turkey to take diesel under the Russia-US supply deal

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Ankara will take some of the diesel Russia is supplying to global markets under the deal President Trump struck with Vladimir Putin, calling it important for Turkey's energy security after Russia curtailed exports. Volumes and timing weren't disclosed. Ukraine and some US and European officials have criticized the broader Trump-Putin diesel arrangement.

Iran says its offer to reopen Hormuz within seven days still stands

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days of a US acceptance, first made in mid-September, remains open. Iran's conditions include lifting the US blockade of its ports, lifting US sanctions on its oil exports, and ending hostilities on other regional fronts. The US has responded through Qatari mediators; the two sides remain stuck on Washington's demand that Iran also address its nuclear program.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Romanian F-16s shoot down two drones over Black Sea territorial waters

Romania's defense ministry said F-16 fighter jets shot down two drones that entered the country's Black Sea territorial waters on 17 October; it did not say who operated them. The incident came days after drones struck two chemical tankers anchored near the Sulina Canal, Ukraine's Danube export route, leaving seven crew still missing; a NATO military source told Reuters the earlier strikes involved Russian drones.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards say two more tankers hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said two oil tankers, each carrying about 2 million barrels of crude, caught fire after hitting naval mines while crossing the strait; state media said both had switched off tracking and were on a route Iran hadn't authorized. Reuters reported there was no independent confirmation of the claim (Iranian claim, unverified).

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Two tankers struck off Saudi Arabia's al-Jubail; Iran claims mines, UKMTO reports projectile and RPG hits

UKMTO reported that two tankers were struck roughly 68 and 78 nautical miles northeast of al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia on 16 October, outside the Strait of Hormuz: an unknown projectile hit the first vessel, and a small boat, likely an Iranian fast-attack craft, fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the second. ISW/CTP assessed the IRGC Navy was likely responsible, consistent with Iran's pattern of striking vessels using routes it has not authorized. Iran's Revolutionary Guards and state media separately said the two tankers, each carrying about 2 million barrels of crude, caught fire after hitting naval mines while on an unauthorized route with navigation systems off (Iranian claim, unverified; Reuters said there was no independent confirmation).

Vitol: ship-fuel oil shortage will persist despite rising Hormuz crude flows

Vitol's Asia head Kieran Gallagher told the Sibcon conference in Singapore on 16 October that rising crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz will not fix a shortage of high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) used to power ships, Bloomberg reported. Singapore bunker prices hit their highest level since April as Gulf fuel-oil exports, including from Iran, fell by about 800,000 tons a month and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries cut a further 1 million tons a month; refiners are prioritizing higher-margin diesel, and North Asian refiners plan to divert more than 1 million tons of HSFO to feedstock use in November instead of ship fuel.

UKMTO: most Hormuz-area tanker attacks go unreported; US and independent transit counts diverge sharply

UKMTO's weekly overview, published 16 October, said most vessels struck in the Hormuz region are not reporting incidents to it and that it knows of additional incidents from other sources it cannot yet verify. In its latest reporting period UKMTO logged 12 attacks (10 in the strait, one in the Arabian Gulf, one in the Gulf of Oman); six ships continued their voyage, two were disabled, and the Singapore-flagged containership GFS Pride was lost. Since 6 July, 55 of 74 documented projectile strikes have hit the southern route through the strait. UKMTO counted 254 transits (129 inbound, 125 outbound) in the seven days to 14 October, down from 275 the week before and about 70% below pre-war levels, but only 42 of those were seen directly via AIS; the other 212 came from US-reported 'facilitated' transits that UKMTO said it cannot independently verify. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said separately on 16 October that about 400 merchant ships transited in the prior seven days and that US forces had helped move more than 100 million barrels of crude in that period (CENTCOM claim, unverified) — a figure UKMTO's own count cannot confirm. Iran's army chief, Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, said on 15 October the strait would stay closed until Iran's rights were respected (Iranian claim, unverified).

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Tracking data show Iran shipping LPG and jet fuel past the US blockade since July

Reuters reported the first documented cases of Iran moving LPG and jet fuel cargoes past the US naval blockade (imposed 13 April, lifted in June, reimposed 14 July). Tracking group United Against Nuclear Iran counted at least eight gas tankers carrying roughly 4.1 million barrels of Iranian LPG out of the Gulf of Oman since mid-July, some transferring cargo near Shinas and Sohar, Oman; satellite analysis from SynMax showed one tanker carrying Iranian jet fuel reaching Myanmar in September. Six of the eight LPG tankers and the jet fuel tanker are under US sanctions, and most LPG cargoes moved on to Malaysia for further ship-to-ship transfers, likely bound for China, per UANI. Iranian crude exports fell to zero in September, the first such month since Kpler began tracking Iran in 2013. CENTCOM said the blockade is 'ironclad,' reporting that over three months it disabled four vessels and turned back 135; a US Treasury spokesperson said the shipping data 'should be taken with a grain of salt' since vessels can spoof location or identity.

Gulf-to-China VLCC freight rates ease about 8% from record highs

Baltic Exchange data showed VLCC freight rates on the Gulf of Oman-to-China route fell to about 776 Worldscale in the week to 16 October, down roughly 8% from about 841 the week before — the highest since the route launched this year — but still close to record levels. Kpler analyst Matthew Wright said demand on the route softened after fresh Middle East attacks and amid higher Middle East Gulf freight rates and lower export volumes. Reuters reported that Trump administration comments about possibly easing sanctions on some shadow-fleet tankers also weighed on rates, a move Sparta Commodities analyst Michael Ryan said would add ships able to carry oil. Ship-to-ship transfers used to move oil out of the Strait of Hormuz have driven up tanker demand through the war; rates also eased from record highs on other routes such as West Africa to Asia.

IEA speeds up roughly 100 million barrels of emergency releases, including over 20 million of diesel

The IEA's Governing Board agreed on 15 October to accelerate emergency stock releases, including more than 20 million barrels of diesel to be made available 'as soon as possible,' citing the prolonged Strait of Hormuz crisis, diesel shortages and renewed attacks on shipping. Member countries have already released about 330 million of the record 400 million barrels pledged in March, and the board expects the final total to exceed 400 million as some members release more than pledged. The IEA's October Oil Market Report, published the same week, found disruptions cut Middle Eastern refined-product exports to 1.9 million b/d in September from 4.7 million before the war, removing about 1.3 million b/d of diesel and gasoil exports year on year, with observed oil stocks 509 million barrels below pre-war levels; the agency said the diesel shortage could last into 2027 and urged producers with spare refining capacity to raise output.

Drones hit two tankers off Romania's Black Sea coast; 7 missing from Wine Trader

Drones struck the tankers Wine Trader (San Marino-flagged) and Yara J (Comoros-flagged) near the mouth of the Danube's Sulina Canal on 15 October, Reuters reported. Five of Wine Trader's 12 crew were rescued and 7 remain missing; Yara J's crew was reported safe. Romanian President Nicusor Dan said the ships were hit by drones but did not say who was responsible; an unnamed NATO military source told Reuters the drones were of Russian origin (reported, single source, not independently confirmed). NATO also reported the bulk carrier Sea Destiny was targeted in Romanian waters and the tanker Dania J at Ukraine's Danube port of Izmail. It is the latest in a string of attacks on shipping near Romania and Bulgaria over the past 10 days, in which Reuters said at least 23 sailors have been reported missing or dead across at least five other vessels.

Trump administration weighs easing shadow-fleet tanker sanctions as freight rates soar

The Trump administration is discussing letting tankers already sanctioned for carrying Russian, Iranian or Venezuelan oil carry non-sanctioned cargo instead, Reuters reported, as record tanker freight rates squeeze exports from the Gulf and the US. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said high freight costs were cutting into demand for US crude; the move follows Trump's temporary lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel exports, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, European governments and some Republican senators criticized as a boost to Moscow's war financing. Research group Energy Aspects said easing the shadow-fleet sanctions would add only a few vessels for Strait of Hormuz shuttle runs and is unlikely to broadly cut rates, since insurers remain bound by EU and UK restrictions.

Houthi strike hits Aramco's Dhahran headquarters; Riyadh airport shut through Oct 17

Houthi missiles, cruise missiles and drones struck targets including Saudi Aramco's Dhahran headquarters complex overnight on 13 October, Reuters reported, citing three people with knowledge of the matter who described a fire spreading across several floors; Saudi Arabia's energy ministry described a 'limited fire.' Aramco did not comment publicly; two sources said operations continued normally with staff working from home. The Houthis said they also targeted Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and an Aramco refinery in Riyadh, calling the sites legitimate retaliation for Saudi strikes on Yemen (Houthi claim, unverified); no independent report confirmed damage at the refinery. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh on 14 October. A notice to airmen extended Riyadh airport's closure to 2100 GMT on 17 October after the 10-11 October strikes that killed at least 13 people; Cirium data showed the airport cancelled nearly all scheduled flights, and Etihad and other carriers suspended Riyadh service into late October.

Related: Riyadh Refinery

Container ship GFS Pride sinks in Hormuz; bulk carrier Cape Dao also goes down

The Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride sank in the Strait of Hormuz after being struck by an unidentified projectile on 13 October; Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority confirmed all 21 crew were evacuated safely and condemned the attack as 'unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law.' Its sister ship GFS Giselle was damaged in the same wave of attacks but reached a safe anchorage under its own power with all 22 crew safe. Iran's IRGC claimed, without evidence, that the Pride struck a naval mine after using an unauthorized route; maritime security firm Marisks said it found no independent evidence of a mine (Iran claim, unverified). Separately, Reuters reported that the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier Cape Dao — struck near Hormuz on 23 September, when one Indian seafarer was killed — has now sunk as well, weeks after that attack. The IMO has documented more than 100 confirmed maritime security incidents in the strait since the war began, with at least 24 seafarer deaths, and JMIC maintains a SEVERE threat assessment.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Drones hit two cargo ships off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast; one sinks, 11 missing

Two cargo ships were struck by aerial drones early on 13 October near Bulgaria's territorial waters in the western Black Sea, Bulgarian officials said. The Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity, sailing from Mostaganem, Algeria to Braila, Romania, sank off Krapets; five crew were rescued and 11 remained missing. The Maltese-flagged, Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3, sailing from Giresun, Turkey to Giurgiulesti, Moldova, caught fire about 18 nautical miles off Byala but stayed afloat. Bulgaria's government summoned Russia's ambassador and said the strikes benefited Russia, since 'there's no logic in Ukraine destroying its own ships' (Bulgaria statement); Russia's ambassador said she had no information from its defense ministry and did not rule out a 'provocation from a third country' (Russia claim, unverified). The incidents follow earlier strikes on ships in Bulgaria's and Romania's exclusive economic zones the same week.

Trump says Russia will release diesel to global markets before midterms; allies, senators push back

President Trump said Russia agreed to begin releasing Russian diesel onto global markets to help lower fuel prices before the 3 November midterm elections, as part of a package in which he also pressed Ukraine to halt refinery strikes and announced an energy ceasefire (Trump claim; Russia and Ukraine did not independently confirm agreeing to it). Bloomberg reported the first tranche would be about 2.25 million barrels in October — about 1.4 million barrels less than a single day of US diesel consumption — with Russia's deputy prime minister saying monthly exports of 3 million tons would only be possible after December. A bipartisan group of US senators urged Trump to 'reverse course,' saying the US 'should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline,' and EU officials, including Kaja Kallas, warned the move would strengthen Moscow's war effort. A 2022 law bars the US from buying most Russian energy products, and analysts were skeptical the plan would meaningfully lower prices given shipping times of two-plus weeks and Russia's own extended ban on diesel exports following Ukrainian strikes on its refineries.

Saudi coalition strikes Sanaa fuel depot; Houthis threaten Aramco HQ, refinery

Saudi-led coalition aircraft struck Houthi-linked sites in Sanaa, Hodeidah and Dhamar on 13 October, including the Yemen Petroleum Company's Sabah depot on Sanaa's outskirts; YPC said the depot held no fuel stocks, so the strike did not affect oil reserves or supply chains. The coalition said the sites supplied the Houthis' missiles and drones (coalition claim, unverified). Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree threatened a 'harsh and painful' response, naming Saudi Aramco's Dhahran headquarters and a Saudi refinery as possible targets, and warned oil workers to stay away from potential target sites.

Supertankers divert from Fujairah hub as Hormuz-area attacks mount

At least 10 VLCCs and several Suezmax tankers approaching Fujairah, the UAE transfer hub just outside the Strait of Hormuz, stopped or reversed course in the days before 13 October amid near-daily attacks around the strait, tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg showed. Fujairah underpins the shuttle-tanker system that has let Gulf oil exports recover toward pre-war levels, with VLCCs waiting offshore there while shuttle tankers make the riskier transit through the strait to load and transfer cargo; fewer vessels willing to wait risks slowing that bypass route at a time of an already acute global tanker shortage.

Related: Fujairah

Saudi Arabia studies raising oil pipeline capacity outside Gulf to 10mb/d

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on 12 October the kingdom is studying upgrades to pumping stations that could raise the East-West pipeline's capacity, which carried 5.8 million b/d on 6 October against its 7 mb/d nameplate, to as much as 10 million b/d within two to three years. Separately, Saudi Arabia and Aramco are converting a gas pipeline to carry about 1.2 million b/d of crude within seven to eight weeks, potentially rising to 3 million b/d with further investment, until the line is needed for domestic gas supply next May. The plans aim to expand capacity for routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

Related: East-West Pipeline (Petroline)

Soaring freight rates strand heavy crude in the Americas

Freight costs have squeezed heavy-crude exports from the Americas to Asia, Reuters reported on 12 October: a Gulf Coast-to-Asia supertanker cost more than $80 million (about $40/bbl) last week, versus $10-15 million near the start of the year, as ship-to-ship transfers tied to the Hormuz shuttle system tie up vessels worldwide (Signal Maritime data). US refinery utilization has averaged about 93.5% this year, the highest in 28 years (EIA), while heavy crude from Canada, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela builds up in storage because freight now costs more than the crude itself for export, and benchmark prices above $100/bbl have split the market between a well-supplied Americas and shortages in Asia and Europe.

Sweden releases sanctioned Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker after 7-month hold

Sweden's Transport Agency lifted an operating ban on the EU-sanctioned tanker Sea Owl 1 on 12 October, nearly seven months after the Swedish Coast Guard detained it off Trelleborg on 12 March over flag and documentation irregularities; the vessel had been found falsely flying first the Comoros flag, then an invalid Cameroon registration. The agency said it lifted the order after Equatorial Guinea confirmed the ship is now properly registered there and its certificates checked out; the Coast Guard said the vessel remains EU-sanctioned and is not suspected of a sanctions violation. Sweden continues to hold two other vessels, the Caffa and the Jin Hui, over similar paperwork problems.

Trump claims Russia-Ukraine energy ceasefire; Zelensky says strikes continued

President Trump posted on 11 October that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate 'ENERGY CEASEFIRE' and that 'both parties have agreed' (Trump claim, unverified); Zelensky told Axios the announcement was 'news for me' and said Ukraine would halt strikes on Russian refineries only if Russia stopped hitting Ukraine's energy grid. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the idea as an attempt by Zelensky to regroup and rearm (Russia claim, unverified). Zelensky said a Shahed drone fired from Russia hit a Ukrainian gas production facility around midnight into 12 October and drones hit at least five other energy-related targets, wounding 33 people nationwide (Ukraine claim, unverified); no independent confirmation of the strikes, such as satellite imagery or a neutral monitor, has been found. Ukrainian officials said they had respected the call for a ceasefire but struck Russian data centres.

Iran says US response to its Hormuz-reopening proposal is ‘insufficient’

Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei, quoted by state media, said Washington's response to Iran's seven conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz was ‘insufficient’ and that Tehran would no longer respond to the US through the current channel. He said the US had accepted some of Iran's conditions while others remained unclear. The US replied through Qatari intermediaries; the White House did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Iran's proposal, presented at the UN General Assembly, would restore normal shipping through the strait within seven days if its conditions were met.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Second outbound tanker struck by projectile in Strait of Hormuz in two days

UKMTO said an outbound tanker was hit on its port side by an unidentified projectile on 11 October. The company security officer reported damage to the vessel; the crew was reported safe and no environmental impact was reported. UKMTO did not name the vessel or attribute responsibility.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

UKMTO, JMIC: six vessels struck in Strait of Hormuz in a single day, highest yet

Delayed UKMTO warnings and a JMIC advisory, disclosed on 12 October, showed the attack toll for 11 October was larger than first reported: six commercial vessels were struck that day, five tankers and a container ship — not the single tanker reported at the time. Four incidents occurred in the strait's transit lanes; a tanker at Oman's Sohar anchorage was hit by an uncrewed aerial vehicle, which UKMTO first classified as 'suspicious activity' before reclassifying it an attack and helping evacuate the crew. One outbound tanker suffered damage to its steering gear room and a port-side water tank. No injuries were reported across the six incidents, and JMIC raised its threat assessment for the strait to SEVERE. No group claimed responsibility.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Houthi strike on Riyadh airport kills 13, deadliest Saudi attack in a decade

Yemen's Houthis struck Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport over the weekend of 10-11 October, killing at least 13 people, including an American, and wounding more than 300 — the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in a decade, per Reuters and Bloomberg reporting. The Houthis said it was retaliation for Saudi strikes on Sanaa airport; the Saudi-led coalition called it 'a full-fledged war crime.' Several oil executives, including from BP and Shell, withdrew from the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh, and the UK and Australia advised against travel to the city. Trump called the Houthis' actions 'very bad' and said the US may join strikes against them, raising the risk of a wider war.

Outbound tanker hit by projectile, catches fire, in Strait of Hormuz

UKMTO said an outbound tanker was struck on its port side by an unknown projectile around 1920 UTC on 10 October and caught fire. The crew was reported safe; the extent of damage and any environmental impact were unknown. The vessel was not named and no party claimed responsibility.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Isaias weakens to post-tropical; Gulf of Mexico oil shut-ins ease to about 69%

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, around 8pm ET on 9 October as a Category 2 storm, then rapidly weakened to a post-tropical cyclone by the morning of 10 October over Alabama and was forecast to dissipate by 11 October. BSEE's Marine Minerals Administration said Gulf of Mexico oil shut-ins eased to about 68.76% of current daily output (roughly 1.40 million b/d) by 10 October, down from a peak of about 71.51% the day before, with fewer platforms evacuated (113 of 371, down from 129). The agency said undamaged facilities would resume production once standard post-storm inspections were complete; Isaias was expected to miss the Gulf's biggest oil hubs.

Related: US Gulf Deepwater

DOE authorizes 4-million-barrel SPR emergency exchange with ExxonMobil, BP after Isaias

The US Energy Department authorized an emergency exchange of up to 4 million barrels of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to address Gulf Coast refinery supply disruptions from Hurricane Isaias, with up to 2 million barrels released to each of ExxonMobil and BP America. The companies must return an equivalent volume plus a premium to the reserve by 2027. It is separate from the 40-million-barrel SPR exchange DOE put out for bid in late September.

Related: US Gulf Deepwater

CENTCOM says US fighter disabled tanker Ocean Molica off an Iranian port under Hormuz-area blockade

CENTCOM said a US fighter jet fired on and disabled the Panama-flagged M/V Ocean Molica in the Gulf of Oman on 10 October, saying the vessel had recently left an Iranian port in violation of the US naval blockade. CENTCOM said that since the blockade began on 14 July it has disabled four vessels, turned back 135 ships and destroyed 10 suspected "shadow fleet" tankers; these are the US military's own figures and have not been independently verified. (CENTCOM claim, unverified.)

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Panama-flagged VLCC GEM NO.2 struck by projectile off UAE coast, outside Hormuz

The fully laden Panama-flagged crude supertanker GEM NO.2 was hit by an unidentified projectile on 9 October about 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera, UAE — outside the Strait of Hormuz itself, where most recent attacks have clustered. A fire aboard was extinguished; the vessel's Panama-based operator could not be reached for comment, and no group claimed responsibility. UKMTO did not name the vessel; maritime security sources identified it to Reuters and Arab News.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Trump announces Russia-US diesel deal; Treasury to temporarily ease Russia energy sanctions

President Trump said that after a roughly 90-minute call with President Putin, Russia would supply diesel to US and global markets: over 300,000 tonnes "immediately," 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes after that, with up to 3 million more tonnes possible depending on Russian refinery conditions. The US Treasury Department said it would temporarily waive sanctions on Russia's energy sector to let the diesel reach the US market. The Kremlin confirmed the call and said Russia "reaffirmed its readiness to supply oil and oil products to the American and world markets," without giving tonnage or dates; no diesel has yet been delivered. Ukraine's President Zelensky called easing sanctions a "weakness." AAA put the US diesel average at $6.28/gallon on 8 October, up from $5.94 a month earlier and near the $6.53 record set 22 September.

Kpler: Hormuz crude exports fall to about 8.5 mb/d, ~40% below pre-war, in week to Oct 7

Kpler ship-tracking data showed Hormuz crude exports averaging about 8.5 million barrels per day in the week ended 7 October, roughly 40% below pre-war levels — down from the 13.2 mb/d (about 77% of the pre-war baseline) Kpler had reported for the week to 29 September, as tanker attacks in the strait hit a record weekly pace. Total Middle East crude exports averaged about 15.3 mb/d in the same week, about 10% below pre-war.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

IRGC says it struck LPG tanker 'NV Sunshine' in Hormuz for using an 'illegal route'

Iran's IRGC Navy said it struck the LPG tanker NV Sunshine on 9 October after the vessel "intended to cross via the illegal route," with IRGC adviser Mohammad Reza Naqdi saying Iran has "full control" of the strait. No casualties or damage were reported. The claim could not be independently verified; the Trump administration maintains the strait remains open and the US blockade of Iranian ports stays in force. (IRGC claim, unverified.)

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Saudi-led coalition claims 136 Houthi targets hit, Mayyun Island retaken; Houthis deny

The Saudi-led coalition said it struck 136 "high-value" Houthi targets in continued air support for the Yemeni government's 'Operation Yemen Dawn' offensive, and Yemeni officials said forces had also retaken Mayyun (Perim) Island, which the Houthis seized in September and which overlooks the Bab el-Mandeb shipping lane. Houthi-aligned media again denied losing ground. Independent confirmation of territorial or shipping-lane control was not available. (Yemeni government/Saudi-led coalition claim, unverified.)

Related: Bab el-Mandeb

US Gulf of Mexico shut-ins climb to about 71.5% of oil output as Isaias nears landfall

The Marine Minerals Administration said producers had shut in about 71.51% of current Gulf oil output by midday 9 October, up from 62.89% a day earlier, as Hurricane Isaias approached the Mississippi-Alabama-Florida coast. CNN separately reported operators had shut in about 72% of daily output as a precaution. Officials said the shut-ins reflect evacuation, not storm damage, and output is expected to resume once platforms are reinspected after landfall.

Related: US Gulf Deepwater

Ukraine says drones struck Gazprom Neft's Omsk refinery, Russia's largest, for a second time since July

Ukraine's military and drone maker Fire Point said FP-1 drones struck Gazprom Neft's Omsk oil refinery — Russia's largest, with a stated capacity of about 22.2 million tonnes a year — on 8 October. Omsk Governor Vitaly Khotsenko confirmed a drone reached the city's northern industrial hub but did not specify any damage; a Gazprom Neft spokesperson said the company was "still assessing the situation." It was the second reported Ukrainian strike on the refinery since July. Separately, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence claimed strikes since late September had taken more than half of Russia's oil refining capacity offline, a claim that could not be independently verified. (Ukrainian military/MoD claims, reported for the strike itself, unverified for the capacity figure.)

US Gulf of Mexico shut-ins deepen to 63% of oil output ahead of Isaias landfall

The Marine Minerals Administration said producers had shut in about 62.89% of current Gulf oil output and 57.35% of gas output as of 8 October, up sharply from 25.08%/16.37% a day earlier, with personnel evacuated from 121 of the Gulf's 371 manned platforms (up from 8). An Earth Science Associates model put about 9 million barrels of oil output at risk through the storm, versus 7.1 million for Tropical Storm Bertha in July. Isaias was forecast to make landfall near the Mississippi-Alabama-Florida border Friday night, potentially after strengthening further.

Related: US Gulf Deepwater

Trump says US will not strike Iran before November midterm elections

In a Truth Social post, President Trump said the US is "having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran" and "will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections." He said the US blockade of Iranian ports remains in force and that oil is flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, and has separately said he expects oil prices to fall sharply after the election. Trump rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the war and reopen the strait; talks continue.

Reuters: Iran plans to widen threats against ships using 'unauthorized' Hormuz-area routes

Reuters reported that Iran has warned regional countries that any new oil-export routes it has not authorized would be treated as hostile, citing a senior regional official close to Tehran and a diplomat briefed by Tehran. The sources described a plan — agreed by Iran's political leadership and the Revolutionary Guards — that could involve missile and drone attacks on ships or boats sent to scare vessels away, targeting channels on the Omani side of the strait and Gulf of Oman transfer points used for shuttle cargoes. No Iranian official confirmed this on the record, and the plan itself could not be independently verified.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Saudi Aramco in talks to formalize long-term Hormuz-bypass shuttle contracts

Aramco is discussing offering Asian customers long-term contracts, to be finalized by year-end, built around the ship-to-ship shuttle system it has used during the war — loading via the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea, then transferring cargo outside the strait to vessels whose owners won't enter it. Talks also cover pricing benchmarks and whether Aramco itself arranges shipping. The UAE, Kuwait and Iraq have used similar shuttle arrangements; Aramco and the Saudi energy ministry did not comment.

Related: East-West Pipeline (Petroline), Yanbu Terminal

Gulf-to-Asia supertanker freight rates hit record as Hormuz shuttle system strains vessel supply

The assessed VLCC day rate for the Persian Gulf-to-East Asia route hit an all-time high of nearly $1.4 million a day, up about 540% since before the war, as shipowners chase high fees for Hormuz transits and the ship-to-ship shuttle system outside the strait ties up extra tankers, Signal Ocean data showed. Over 40% of the roughly 850-strong global VLCC fleet is now in or within a couple of days of the Persian Gulf, and the number of empty VLCCs heading to Atlantic ports has halved in a month. Moving crude from the Gulf to East Asia now costs more than six times its pre-war level; one VLCC was offered for a US Gulf-to-Japan run at a potential record $82m, more than $40 a barrel.

Hurricane Isaias shuts in about a quarter of US Gulf of Mexico oil output

Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season, tracked toward the northern Gulf Coast near the Alabama/Mississippi/Florida Panhandle area. Shell shut in production and evacuated all personnel from its Mars, Olympus, Ursa, Vito and Appomattox platforms, and Chevron shut in four Gulf-of-Mexico facilities. The Marine Minerals Administration, the US offshore regulator, said producers had shut in about 25.08% of current Gulf oil output and 16.37% of gas output as of 7 October, with staff evacuated from 8 of the Gulf's 371 manned platforms. The US Gulf normally produces around 1.8 million b/d, so the shut-ins add a temporary, separate supply loss on top of the Middle East disruptions.

Related: US Gulf Deepwater

Chemical tanker struck by projectiles off Qatar, west of the usual Hormuz attack zone

The Antigua and Barbuda-flagged chemical/oil tanker Acers was struck by several projectiles around 1900 UTC about 51 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, UKMTO said; casualties were reported but not numbered. No party has claimed responsibility. The location is well west of the Strait of Hormuz cluster where most recent attacks occurred, including at least 12 tanker attacks Reuters counted between 28 September and 5 October, the most intense week since the war began.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz hit the highest weekly total since the war began

The UN's International Maritime Organization recorded 9 attacks on tankers in and around the Strait of Hormuz in the week of 28 September-5 October, more than the 8 it recorded in the previous highest week (mid-July) since the Iran war began on 28 February. Reuters, citing three maritime security sources, put the week's total higher, at least 12 attacks on oil, LNG and LPG tankers; that figure could not be independently verified. The US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center separately advised that Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels continued drone overflights, surveillance and radio hailing of merchant ships through the strait.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Qatar positions a dozen empty LNG carriers in the Gulf for a potential export boost

Bloomberg ship-tracking and satellite imagery found Qatar had assembled at least 12 empty LNG carriers, about 1.1 million tonnes of capacity and roughly 2% of the global LNG fleet, in the Gulf, signalling it may be preparing to raise exports. It remained unclear whether the ships would transit the Strait of Hormuz once loaded, given intensified Iranian attacks on vessels there.

Related: Ras Laffan LNG, Strait of Hormuz

CENTCOM says US forces destroyed an Iranian-linked dhow in the Gulf of Oman

US Central Command said on 14 October that US forces destroyed an Iranian-affiliated dhow in the Gulf of Oman on 6 October, alleging the vessel was conducting surveillance to help target US Navy ships (CENTCOM claim, unverified); it did not identify the vessel or how it was destroyed, and no independent confirmation of the Iranian affiliation or the surveillance allegation was found. CENTCOM said the crew was removed safely before the vessel was destroyed and that efforts to repatriate them are ongoing. gCaptain noted the IRGC has increasingly used small boats, including unarmed spotters, to help identify commercial ships as targets.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Saudi energy minister says East-West pipeline pumping 5.8 million b/d

Speaking at the GCC 2026 Forum in Manama, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the East-West Pipeline had reached 5.8 million b/d "as of this morning" — about 83% of its 7 million b/d capacity — with roughly 4 million b/d of that being rerouted to the Red Sea port of Yanbu to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, about 4% of global oil supply. Flows had been as low as about 2 million b/d in August, per Kpler, after Houthi attacks on the Red Sea route.

Related: East-West Pipeline (Petroline), Yanbu Terminal

Gulf oil flows excluding Iran averaged 81% of pre-war levels in September

Vortexa ship-tracking data showed the seven non-Iranian Gulf producers (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq and the UAE) averaged 19.2 million b/d of crude, condensate and refined fuels including LPG in September, about 81% of their roughly 23.6 million b/d pre-war baseline. Crude and condensate alone recovered to 91% of their pre-war rate; refined fuels, including LPG, lagged at 60%. Kpler separately put the group's total September oil exports at 18.6 million b/d. Iran's own exports are excluded from the 81% figure; Kpler says they fell to zero under the US blockade.

Tracking data: Iran's oil exports near a standstill under US blockade

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), citing ship-tracking and satellite data corroborated by Bloomberg, said at least 50 Iranian tankers remain backed up along Iran's coast, with 11 laden vessels anchored east of Kharg Island and none seen loading there on 5 October. Iran loaded no crude at all in September, the first such month since the war began, with exports falling from about 966,000 b/d in July to roughly 50,000 b/d, as no new Iranian crude has crossed the US Navy's blockade line since 14 July. Iran's floating storage off Malaysia has fallen to about 10 million barrels after roughly 9 million barrels were moved by ship-to-ship transfer there in September. (UANI tracking data, reported.)

Related: Kharg Island

Brent, WTI fall for a third session to multi-week lows

Brent crude fell to $97.95-98.62/bbl and WTI to $87.32-87.60/bbl on 6 October, both down for a third consecutive session and WTI at its lowest since early September. Traders cited recovering Saudi Red Sea exports, Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline topping 80% of capacity, and the G7's emergency reserve releases, weighed against a reported Saudi-backed advance toward Bab el-Mandeb and a still-closed Strait of Hormuz.

Related: Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, East-West Pipeline (Petroline)

Tanker On Peace struck in Hormuz; 12 seafarers injured

UKMTO reported the Panama-flagged Aframax tanker On Peace was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on 5 October at 1637 UTC, sparking an engine-room fire. India's Ministry of External Affairs said 12 of the 19 crew, 11 of them Indian nationals, were injured and evacuated with Omani assistance to Khasab for treatment. No attacker was identified. UKMTO logged four other tanker incidents and an IRGC turn-back order in the Strait between 3 and 5 October.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Yemeni government forces claim full control of Bab el-Mandeb under 'Operation Yemen Dawn'; Houthis don't confirm

Yemeni government military spokesman Lt Col Majed al-Nuzaili said pro-government Giants Brigades and Nation's Shield forces had taken full control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, plus Dhubab town and its airport, and cut the road to the port of Mokha, under an offensive named 'Operation Yemen Dawn'. The Saudi-led coalition said it flew 100 fighter jets in round-the-clock support and struck 324 'high-value' Houthi targets. The claims could not be independently verified and were not confirmed by the Houthis, whose media denied the advance. (Yemeni government and Saudi-led coalition claims, unverified.)

Related: Bab el-Mandeb

Saudi-backed Yemeni forces claim gains near Bab el-Mandeb; Houthi media deny

Reuters, citing three military sources and one government source, reported that Saudi-backed Giants Brigades and National Shield forces, with Saudi-led coalition air support, seized large parts of Dhubab district overlooking Bab el-Mandeb and cut the road toward Mokha, a day after Saudi Arabia's offensive to retake the strait from the Houthis was reported to have begun. A Yemeni government spokesman said forces had 'secured' the strait from the Houthis, but Houthi-aligned media denied the advances, and independent confirmation of territorial control was not available. (Yemeni government and military sources' claim, unverified.)

Related: Bab el-Mandeb

UKMTO: tanker Lipsi struck and disabled in Strait of Hormuz

An unknown projectile struck the engine room of the Liberian-flagged Aframax tanker Lipsi, managed by Dynacom Tankers Management, about 3.9 nautical miles northeast of Jazirat Um Al Fayarin in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving it disabled and adrift. UKMTO said the crew was safe and reported no environmental impact. It is at least the seventh commercial vessel UKMTO has logged struck in or near the strait since 28 September.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Fire reported at Aramco's Riyadh Refinery; Houthis claim missile-and-drone strike

Reuters and AFP witnesses saw a large fire and smoke plume at Saudi Aramco's Riyadh Refinery, south of the capital, with fire crews, ambulances and police at the scene. Yemen's Houthi movement claimed a missile-and-drone strike on the facility, calling it retaliation for Saudi strikes on Sanaa. Saudi authorities and Aramco did not confirm the cause or report any damage or output impact.

Related: Riyadh Refinery

Officials: Saudi Arabia preparing offensive to retake Bab el-Mandeb from Houthis

Six people familiar with the planning, including Gulf, Yemeni and Western officials, said Saudi Arabia is preparing a Yemeni-led ground offensive, backed by Saudi air power, to break Houthi control of the approaches to Bab el-Mandeb. Options range from a narrow coastal assault near the strait to a broader multi-front campaign; estimated timing ranges from within a week to after the US midterm elections in early November. No government has confirmed the plan, and no operation had begun as of this report.

Related: Bab el-Mandeb

UKMTO: six vessels struck in Strait of Hormuz since 28 September

UKMTO advisories show at least six merchant vessels have now been hit in or near the Strait of Hormuz since 28 September, extending the pattern of delayed incident disclosures already seen this run. UKMTO reported crews safe and did not attribute responsibility for the strikes.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Saudi East-West pipeline flows top 80% of capacity, Bloomberg reports

Bloomberg reported that Saudi Aramco is pumping close to 6 million b/d through the 7 million b/d East-West pipeline to Yanbu, up from about 3.5 million b/d in late September, citing a person familiar with the matter. About 4.5 million b/d is available for export after supplying Saudi Arabia's west-coast refineries. Aramco and the Saudi energy ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Related: East-West Pipeline (Petroline), Yanbu Terminal

UK sanctions eight more Russian shadow-fleet and LNG-export ships

The UK government sanctioned eight more vessels tied to Russia's shadow fleet and LNG exports, including the LNG carriers Chaivo, Portovyy, Aleksey Kosygin, Konstantin Posiet and Pyotr Stolypin, plus bunkering and ice-class vessels. The UK said it has now sanctioned nearly 600 tankers used to move Russian energy around Western restrictions, while keeping an exemption for limited Russian LNG shipments to Japan and South Korea through March 2028.

US sanctions hit Iran's carmakers and railways as oil moves overland

The US Treasury's "Operation Economic Outcast" designated Iran's two largest automakers, Iran Khodro and Saipa (together about 90% of Iran's domestic auto market), the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Railway Company, Raja Passenger Trains and a major private freight operator, plus foreign auto-parts suppliers in the UAE, Indonesia and Turkey. Treasury said the action targets the road and rail networks Iran has increasingly used to move petroleum, fertiliser, chemicals and other goods since US restrictions tightened on Iranian oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

US presses Germany and France to release more diesel reserves

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said several European countries have released only a fraction of the crude and diesel they pledged under the March IEA-coordinated 400-million-barrel stock release (of which the US contributed 172 million barrels, completing a further 40-million-barrel release on 30 September). Germany's economy ministry said it has no plans to release its remaining 15 million pledged barrels; France's finance minister said France has released none of its stockpile; Spain has released about a third of its 11.6-million-barrel pledge. The European Commission said the bloc would "take action as necessary." Reuters reporting cited by Rigzone said Washington has threatened Germany and France with export curbs if they do not draw down reserves further.

JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs: Middle East crude flows nearing pre-war levels

In notes dated 29 September, JPMorgan estimated regional crude shipments at 17.5 million b/d (98% of its pre-war baseline), with Hormuz flows near 13 million b/d, 'almost returned to late-June highs'; product flows (diesel, gasoline) were put at 3 million b/d, 58% of pre-war. Goldman Sachs estimated total Persian Gulf exports, including clandestine shipments, at 23.3 million b/d for September, matching 2025 averages, with Saudi Arabia's September shipments more than doubling year-on-year. Both banks said higher crossings reflect the industry adapting to sustained risk, not improved safety.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

UKMTO discloses three more Hormuz tanker attacks via delayed reports

UK Maritime Trade Operations issued three delayed warnings (144-26, 145-26, 146-26) on 30 September covering previously unreported attacks from 29 September: tankers struck by unknown projectiles, with times marked 'to be confirmed' and no vessel identities, casualties or pollution given. UKMTO's voluntary reporting system is producing growing gaps, with some incidents surfacing days late. Iran separately claimed it targeted or intercepted 19 vessels over the weekend of 26-27 September but gave no vessel identification or evidence; that broader claim is unverified.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Trump denies offering Iran sanctions relief; Iran ties Hormuz reopening to its own timeline

Trump said on Truth Social 'I offered them NOTHING,' denying reports he would ease sanctions or release frozen funds for nuclear concessions. Iran's President Pezeshkian said Tehran was open to talks on nuclear and other issues but would not accept 'bullying,' while Foreign Minister Araqchi said a deal would start a seven-day countdown to reopening the strait, slower than the immediate reopening set out in June's since-collapsed MOU. These are statements by parties to the conflict and are not independently verifiable.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Kpler: Hormuz flows hit 13.2 mb/d 7-day average as Saudi Red Sea exports rebound

Kpler ship-tracking data cited by CNBC showed oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz averaging 13.2 million b/d over the seven days to 29 September, about 77% of the roughly 17 million b/d Kpler puts as the pre-war baseline (a lower figure than the IEA's ~20 mb/d, reflecting a different measure). Satellite imagery showed a 'major operational recovery' at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu and Mua'jjiz terminals, with nine tankers loading 12.5 million barrels between 26 and 28 September. Brent fell 2.6% to $102.59 and WTI 3.5% to $89.38 on the news.

Related: Strait of Hormuz, Yanbu Terminal, East-West Pipeline (Petroline)

Kpler data: Hormuz crude exports recover to 7.4 mb/d September average

Preliminary Kpler ship-tracking data showed Strait of Hormuz crude exports averaging 7.4 million b/d in September, with 19 tankers — including 17 VLCCs — transiting in the week to 27 September, and combined Gulf-state crude exports (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Iran) at 12.8 million b/d, the highest since the war began. The strait remains formally closed to normal commercial shipping under Iran's permit regime and a US naval blockade; tankers move mainly under naval escort or shuttle arrangements.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Saudi East-West pipeline flows reach ~3.5 million b/d after repairs

Bloomberg reported that flows through Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline to Yanbu have reached about 3.5 million b/d, roughly half of its 7 million b/d capacity and up from the low rate seen at its 22 September restart, citing people familiar with the matter. A full return to normal operations is expected to take about six weeks; Aramco is aiming to restore pumping to around 4 million b/d.

Related: East-West Pipeline (Petroline), Yanbu Terminal

Trump says he expects US-Iran talks to resume this week despite rejecting Hormuz proposal

A day after rejecting Iran's seven-condition plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump told Axios he expects renewed US-Iran negotiations this week, with Qatari mediators expected to meet both sides as early as Monday. He said Iran wants a deal the US might have accepted about a year ago and has 'overplayed its hand'; US and Iranian positions remain far apart on the naval blockade, strait reopening and Iran's nuclear program.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Explosions near Qeshm Island after Trump rejects Iran's Hormuz proposal

Explosions were reported near Qeshm Island on 27 September, with anti-ship missiles and drones allegedly fired at transiting vessels, hours after President Trump rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the strait. Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority has instructed shippers to use an Iranian-approved temporary route and pay fees, threatening to blacklist charterers using other routes.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Trump rejects Iran's seven-condition plan to reopen Hormuz within a week

At the UN General Assembly Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week if seven conditions were met, including lifting the US blockade, releasing frozen funds and ending attacks on all fronts; Trump rejected it on 26 September. Reuters had reported US and Iranian negotiators in New York exploring a phased deal (strait reopening in exchange for lifting the blockade), which briefly pushed oil prices lower.

Related: Strait of Hormuz, Kharg Island

Houthis fire missiles at Yanbu and Riyadh; Saudi Arabia intercepts six

Saudi forces said they intercepted six ballistic missiles aimed at Yanbu and Taif on 24 September; on 25 September the Houthis claimed missile and drone strikes on Aramco facilities in Yanbu and a 'sensitive target' in Riyadh. No damage was confirmed. Yanbu is Saudi Arabia's main Red Sea export outlet and the terminus of the East-West pipeline.

Related: Yanbu Terminal, East-West Pipeline (Petroline)

Independent ship-tracking shows Hormuz crude flows at a fraction of pre-war levels

Preliminary Kpler data showed 33.7 million barrels of crude leaving the Strait of Hormuz in the week starting 20 September, against roughly 105 million barrels a week before the war (about 15 mb/d of crude in 2025, per IEA analysis of Kpler data). Many tankers now transit with transponders off, so ship-tracking figures are likely to understate actual flows.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Saudi Arabia sells ~60 million barrels for ship-to-ship relay at Sohar, Oman

With the East-West pipeline and Yanbu export route constrained since the 11 September pipeline shutdown, Saudi Aramco has sold roughly 60 million barrels of Ras Tanura crude for ship-to-ship transfer at Sohar, Oman this month and next, moved out through the Strait of Hormuz by shuttle tanker and transferred onto other vessels for delivery, mainly to Chinese, South Korean, Indian and Japanese refiners. The extra volume has pushed Sohar and Fujairah STS operations close to their capacity limits and tightened the VLCC market; analysts estimate the higher Saudi flows require 36-40 additional VLCCs.

Related: Ras Tanura Terminal, Yanbu Terminal, East-West Pipeline (Petroline)

France to deploy troops, radars and air defences to protect Yanbu

President Macron announced France will send soldiers, radar and defence systems to protect energy infrastructure at Yanbu. CTP-ISW reports the US, UK and other partners are also flying air-defence missions over Saudi oil infrastructure; Pakistan and Turkey called military chiefs' meetings under a joint defence agreement.

Related: Yanbu Terminal

Bulk carrier Cape Dao attacked near Strait of Hormuz, Indian seafarer killed

Correction: the vessel was the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier Cape Dao, bound for India, struck by an unidentified projectile around 0630 UTC on 23 September about 2.5 nautical miles off Oman's Musandam Governorate (UKMTO; Oman Maritime Security Center). The ship caught fire and was abandoned; Oman evacuated 27 crew and one Indian seafarer was killed. No party has claimed responsibility.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

US weighs diesel export curbs as retail diesel hits record ~$6.53/gal

US retail diesel reached a record of about $6.53/gal (AAA, 21-22 Sep), up nearly $1 in a month. Trump said 'let's not send out the diesel' and officials examined export restrictions; by 25 September no policy had been announced and Energy Secretary Wright was gauging refiners' interest in voluntary curbs. The US exports diesel equal to ~40% of domestic consumption, supplying Europe and Latin America.

Related: Houston / Texas City Refining Hub, Port Arthur / Beaumont Refining Hub

Saudi East-West pipeline restarts at reduced rate; Yanbu loadings to resume

Saudi Arabia restarted the East-West pipeline after drone damage to pumping stations, with flows at a reduced rate and Yanbu crude exports expected to resume on 22-23 September, according to sources briefed by Reuters. Aramco and the energy ministry did not comment.

Related: East-West Pipeline (Petroline), Yanbu Terminal

Saudi Gulf terminals load ~12 million barrels in a day, pushing exports back through Hormuz

Six to seven VLCCs loaded roughly 12–14 million barrels at Ras Tanura and Ju'aymah on 21 September, the busiest day since before the war (MarineTraffic, TankerTrackers.com). Provisional Kpler data showed Saudi crude exports recovering to more than 4 mb/d so far in September, from about 2.4 mb/d in August, the lowest since at least 2013. Much Gulf-side loading moves on AIS-dark tankers, so tracked figures may be incomplete.

Related: Ras Tanura Terminal, Strait of Hormuz

Qatar steps up LNG tanker movements through Hormuz

Bloomberg ship-tracking showed at least four Qatari LNG carriers moving through Hormuz in a week (two laden outbound), the most sustained activity since Qatar largely halted exports via the strait in early July after one of its tankers was attacked. Energy Minister al-Kaabi said on 21 September undamaged parts of Ras Laffan could restart within a couple of weeks of the strait reopening; about 17% of capacity (two trains) remains destroyed.

Related: Ras Laffan LNG, Strait of Hormuz

Ukrainian drones hit Moscow oil refinery, pausing refining

Overnight 19-20 September Ukrainian forces struck the Gazpromneft Moscow refinery in Kapotnya, damaging its AVT-6 primary unit and other units and forcing a pause in refining; CTP-ISW estimates offline Russian refining capacity rose from 10% to 14%. Moscow's mayor claimed over 1,600 drones were downed since 19 September.

TTF hits 2026 high near €84/MWh as EU storage lags at ~68%

Dutch TTF front-month reached €83.97/MWh on 15 September, the highest since late 2022, with EU storage at 68.5% versus 80.8% a year earlier (Germany 55.9%). Asian JKM reached its highest in about 2.5 years on 10 September. Prices eased later in the month on US-Iran talk reports.

Related: Ras Laffan LNG

Saudi Arabia shuts East-West pipeline after drone strikes from Iraq

Drones launched from Iraq (reportedly Maysan province) struck East-West pipeline pumping infrastructure in Riyadh and Medina provinces on 10-11 September; the energy ministry closed the line 'as a precaution'. The pipeline had been carrying ~4-5 mb/d of Hormuz-bypass crude to Yanbu. No group claimed it; analysts point to Iran-aligned Iraqi militias, while some reports blame the Houthis. Brent briefly hit ~$110.

Related: East-West Pipeline (Petroline), Yanbu Terminal, Abqaiq oil processing facility

IEA: Saudi crude supply fell to 6 mb/d in August, lowest in over three decades

The IEA's September Oil Market Report said Saudi crude supply fell 2.3 mb/d month on month to 6 mb/d in August, citing Houthi-linked strikes on Bab el-Mandeb shipping, the Jazan refinery and shipping near Yanbu, and Iraqi militia drone strikes on Abqaiq. Saudi loadings fell 1.1 mb/d to 3.5 mb/d; the IEA cut its 2026 Saudi supply forecast to 7.6 mb/d and deferred full Gulf recovery to 2027.

Related: Ghawar, Abqaiq oil processing facility, Yanbu Terminal

Houthis seize Mocha and Red Sea islands, tightening grip on Bab el-Mandeb

Houthi forces captured the port city of Mocha on 10 September, according to Yemeni government military sources cited by Reuters, and subsequently several Red Sea islands; government forces fell back to Dhubab opposite Perim Island. The advance gives the group more leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb strait as it enforces a declared blockade on Saudi-linked shipping.

Related: Bab el-Mandeb

Ukraine says it hit Novorossiysk oil terminal and 13 shadow-fleet vessels

Ukraine's General Staff and President Zelensky said drones struck Novorossiysk's naval base and a seaport fuel/oil terminal overnight on 9 September, with fires reported, and that 13 shadow-fleet vessels were hit in the Black Sea. The Saratov refinery was reportedly struck on 8 September. Loading impacts were not reported.

Related: Novorossiysk, Turkish Straits (Bosphorus & Dardanelles)

Trans Mountain at full 890 kb/d as Asian demand for Canadian crude rises

Trans Mountain ran at full capacity for the first time in June and remains full; about two-thirds of Westridge cargoes go to Asia. The operator plans +90 kb/d in Q4 2026 and +210 kb/d by 2028, citing demand driven by Middle East supply disruption.

Related: Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMX)

OPEC+ holds October output steady; says it has limited sway over physical market

The seven core OPEC+ members (Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Oman) kept September production levels for October, after completing the rollback of the 1.65 mb/d 2023 cut. Many members cannot reach quotas because of Hormuz disruption. Next meeting 4 October.

US strikes three Iranian vessels including tanker off Kharg; Iran fires missiles at US carrier

US forces struck three Iranian vessels on 5 September, including a tanker off Kharg Island and another near Jask, after Iran fired ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and destroyer (no US injuries). Iran said it targeted tankers using an 'unauthorised route'. Vessel counts averaged ~13/day over the prior 10 days versus ~100 pre-war.

Related: Kharg Island, Strait of Hormuz

Chevron commits $7bn to double Venezuelan output to ~600 kb/d

Chevron said it will invest $7 billion over five years to raise Venezuelan production to about 600,000 b/d, taking on Carabobo 1 and Carabobo-2-South-A in the Orinoco Belt. It follows a 28 August US deal granting a private venture (NABEP) 100-year concessions over 17 fields. Analysts say meaningful new barrels are years away.

Related: Orinoco Belt, Jose Terminal

US strikes Iranian radars and mine-laying sites after new tanker attacks

After projectiles hit tankers including the VLCC Senegal Prosperity on 30–31 August, US forces struck Iranian radars, air defences, maritime and mine-laying sites on 30 August–1 September (per CENTCOM, reported by CTP-ISW); Iran retaliated against US and allied bases.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Cheniere completes Corpus Christi Stage 3; US LNG exports up 23% in H1

Cheniere completed the final Corpus Christi Stage 3 train on 28 August, taking the site above 25 mtpa. US LNG exports averaged 17.4 Bcf/d in H1 2026, up 23% year on year, with Plaquemines at full capacity and Golden Pass Train 1 ramping; Asian shipments more than doubled.

Related: Corpus Christi LNG, Plaquemines LNG, Golden Pass LNG

JMIC keeps Hormuz mine threat 'severe' despite US clearance claim

A Joint Maritime Information Center advisory on 25 August kept the mine threat in the Strait of Hormuz at SEVERE, warning of drifting or uncharted mines. The same day President Trump claimed all mines in international waters had been cleared; that claim has not been independently verified.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Houthis hit Bahri VLCC 'Amzan' off Yanbu

A Bahri-owned VLCC was hit by a ballistic missile about 63 nm west of Yanbu, starting a fire; crew were unharmed. The Houthis said it enforced their ban on Saudi shipping. Lloyd's List Intelligence reported no further Red Sea attacks through early September, with the threat focused on Saudi-linked tonnage.

Related: Yanbu Terminal, Bab el-Mandeb

UAE suspends all trade and financial dealings with Iran

The UAE suspended all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran after two Iranian ballistic missiles fell into the sea on 18 August, one in Emirati waters.

Related: Jebel Ali / Dubai, Strait of Hormuz

Houthi missile strike on ship in Bab el-Mandeb kills six

The Houthis hit the Egyptian-owned cargo ship Tihamah in Bab el-Mandeb with three ballistic missiles and a follow-up strike, killing at least six, the first shipping deaths linked to the group since the war began. The Houthis had declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia after Saudi airstrikes ended the 2022 truce on 13 July.

Related: Bab el-Mandeb

Fire at Aramco's Jazan refinery after Houthi drone claim

Saudi Arabia's energy ministry reported a fire early on 9 August at the Jazan refinery on the Red Sea, since extinguished with no casualties; the Houthis claimed a drone strike. The Houthis claimed further strikes on the refinery on 13 and 18 August (not independently confirmed). The IEA later cited attacks on Jazan among causes of Saudi supply losses.

Turkey resumes Dardanelles transit permits for Novorossiysk-bound ships

Turkish officials said passage through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles returned to normal on 9 August, two days after the coast guard stopped issuing transit permits for some vessels bound for Novorossiysk following attacks on Turkish-linked ships in the Black Sea. Ship-tracking showed the tanker Aegean Dream, bound for the CPC terminal at Novorossiysk, entering the Dardanelles after the brief delay. Turkish officials said passage had remained available throughout under the 1936 Montreux Convention. No further restriction has been reported since.

Related: Turkish Straits (Bosphorus & Dardanelles)

Turkey stops issuing transit permits for Novorossiysk-bound ships

Turkey's coastal safety directorate stopped issuing Dardanelles transit permits for commercial ships bound for Novorossiysk (and reportedly Ukrainian ports) after attacks on two Turkish-owned vessels; traffic to Bulgarian and Turkish ports continued. The move compounds Black Sea export disruption.

Related: Turkish Straits (Bosphorus & Dardanelles), Novorossiysk, CPC Pipeline (Caspian Pipeline Consortium)

Ukraine agrees with US to stop strikes on CPC-linked tankers

After a request from VP Vance on 31 July, Ukraine agreed to halt attacks on non-Russian tankers and infrastructure serving the CPC terminal, provided vessels carry no Russian cargo, are not Russian-owned and are not under Ukrainian sanctions. CPC shipments had resumed but remained below normal.

Related: CPC Pipeline (Caspian Pipeline Consortium), Tengiz, Kashagan

Drones from Iraq hit Saudi Abqaiq processing plant

Saudi Arabia said Iran-backed Iraqi militias launched drones at oil facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh; imagery showed damage and smoke at Aramco's Abqaiq processing facility (~7 mb/d capacity). US and Saudi aircraft struck militia sites in Iraq on 28 July. The IEA later cited the Abqaiq strikes among causes of Saudi supply losses.

Related: Abqaiq oil processing facility, Ghawar

Houthis impose 'ban' on Saudi ports and shipping in the Red Sea

The Houthis declared all vessels loading or discharging at Saudi ports prohibited from 20 July. Bab el-Mandeb transits fell 24% to 269 in the week of 20 July (354 the week before) and mainstream tanker transits fell 42% to 53, before stabilising. Saudi tankers turned back and the group later claimed attacks on Yanbu installations.

Related: Bab el-Mandeb, Yanbu Terminal, Suez Canal

Drone strikes on tankers halt CPC loadings; Kazakhstan cuts output

Four tankers heading to or loading at the CPC terminal near Novorossiysk (Nordic Zenith, Asia, Nissos Ios, Nelsa) were hit by drones on 17-20 July. CPC suspended loadings on 22 July as storage filled and Kazakhstan announced temporary output cuts on 23 July. Russia blamed Ukraine; Kazakhstan called the attacks unacceptable. CPC carries ~80% of Kazakh exports.

Related: CPC Pipeline (Caspian Pipeline Consortium), Novorossiysk, Tengiz, Kashagan

Iranian strike damages Kuwaiti power and desalination plant

Kuwait said an Iranian attack caused a fire and damaged several power-generation units at a combined power and water desalination plant, urging residents to conserve power and water. War-risk premiums for Hormuz transits were quoted at 3-10% of hull value, versus ~0.25% pre-war (Marsh).

US reinstates naval blockade of Iranian ports

The US naval blockade of Iranian ports was reimposed on 14 July after the June truce collapsed. Independent data on how far it has cut Iranian exports is limited; US figures on vessels redirected are not used here.

Related: Kharg Island, Strait of Hormuz

US-Iran truce collapses after tanker attacks; US strikes Iran

Following attacks on commercial ships, the US struck Iranian territory and Iran retaliated against US Gulf bases; Trump declared the truce over. The US revoked a 60-day waiver on Iranian oil sales, effective 17 July. Brent rose over 3% from near pre-war levels; one analyst said transits had stayed below 50% of pre-war levels for months.

Related: Strait of Hormuz, Kharg Island

Qatari LNG carrier Al Rekayyat and Saudi VLCC Wedyan hit near Hormuz

The Qatari LNG tanker Al Rekayyat caught fire after being hit off Limah, Oman, the first Qatari LNG ship struck in the war, and the Saudi supertanker Wedyan was damaged. Qatar and Saudi Arabia held Iran responsible. Qatar then largely halted LNG exports through the strait.

Related: Strait of Hormuz, Ras Laffan LNG

Oil falls back to pre-war levels as Hormuz traffic resumes after MoU

Brent settled at $72.68 and WTI at $69.58 on 25 June, the lowest since 27 February, as Hormuz traffic partly resumed after the 17 June MoU. IMF PortWatch data showed 513 ships transiting between 18 June and 5 July, an average of 28 a day, against about 100 a day before the war.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Explosion at Barzan gas facility in Ras Laffan kills at least 13

An explosion at the Barzan gas facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City killed at least 13 workers two days after restart operations began. Qatar's energy minister blamed a technical malfunction, ruled out sabotage and said exports would not be affected.

Related: Ras Laffan LNG, North Field / South Pars

US and Iran sign memorandum to end war and reopen Hormuz

Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding to end the war and restore shipping; Pakistan, the main mediator, said Iran would reopen the strait and the US blockade would end. Traffic recovered only partially, and five commercial vessels were attacked between 25 June and 7 July.

Related: Strait of Hormuz, Kharg Island

Panama Canal near capacity as US energy exports to Asia surge

Canal transits averaged 38/day, up 8% year on year and 16% over five weeks, near the 36-40 daily limit, driven by US tanker, LPG and LNG shipments to Asia; waiting times rose to 47 hours.

Related: Panama Canal

Iran launches Persian Gulf Strait Authority to permit and toll Hormuz transits

Iran set up the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, requiring vessels to declare ownership, insurance, crew and cargo and pay fees for transit permits; some ships reportedly paid ~$2 million per transit. Israeli-linked ships are banned. OFAC warned that payments could expose firms to sanctions.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

DOE awards 53.3 million barrel SPR emergency exchange

The Department of Energy began moving 53.3 million barrels from the SPR under exchange contracts with nine companies (largest: Trafigura, Marathon, ExxonMobil), on top of the 172 million barrels ordered in March. Brent was above $105 at the time.

Related: US Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Iranian barrage sets Fujairah refinery ablaze during Project Freedom

The UAE said it engaged 12 ballistic missiles, 3 cruise missiles and 4 drones; a large fire broke out in the Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone, injuring three, and an ADNOC-linked empty tanker was targeted. The attacks, the first since the 8 April ceasefire, came as the US launched the 'Project Freedom' tanker escort operation (paused 6 May). Brent rose 5.8% to $114.44.

Related: Fujairah, Habshan–Fujairah Pipeline

UAE leaves OPEC and OPEC+

The UAE announced on 28 April that it would leave OPEC and OPEC+ from 1 May, ending 59 years of membership. It cited its national interest and its goal of 5 mb/d of production capacity by 2027.

Related: Zakum (Upper & Lower)

Druzhba resumes Russian crude flows to Slovakia and Hungary

Oil flows through the southern Druzhba leg resumed on 23 April after a halt since January that Kyiv attributed to Russian strike damage near Brody; Slovakia's economy ministry confirmed receipt. Hungary then lifted its veto on a €90bn EU loan to Ukraine.

Related: Druzhba Pipeline (Southern Branch)

Golden Pass LNG ships first cargo, becoming 9th US export terminal

Golden Pass LNG in Texas (QatarEnergy 70%, ExxonMobil 30%) loaded its first export cargo onto QatarEnergy's new carrier Al-Qaiyyah, weeks after first LNG production in late March. It gives Qatar LNG supply outside the Strait of Hormuz while its own plants are offline.

Related: Golden Pass LNG

US begins naval blockade of Iranian ports after Islamabad talks fail

After 21 hours of Pakistan-mediated talks ended without a deal, CENTCOM began blockading all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports at 10:00 ET on 13 April, saying it would not impede transits to non-Iranian ports. More than 90% of Iran's seaborne trade moves through Hormuz.

Related: Kharg Island, Strait of Hormuz

Two-week US-Iran ceasefire announced; oil posts record one-day fall

A temporary US-Iran ceasefire was agreed on 8 April and oil posted its largest daily drop since April 2020. Hormuz traffic stayed far below pre-war levels; about 14 LNG cargoes were trapped in the Gulf.

Related: Strait of Hormuz

Ukraine hits CPC and Sheskharis terminals at Novorossiysk

A Ukrainian strike damaged a CPC mooring-point pipeline and loading facilities and set four storage tanks ablaze at the Sheskharis terminal, which handles roughly 20% of Russian seaborne crude exports. CPC carries ~1% of world oil supply and ~80% of Kazakh exports.

Related: Novorossiysk, CPC Pipeline (Caspian Pipeline Consortium)

Israel's Leviathan gas field restarts after five-week war shutdown

Israel's energy ministry said Leviathan would return to operation after being shut on 28 February, when Leviathan and Karish were halted as a precaution, cutting exports to Egypt and Jordan. Tamar was the only producing field during the shutdown.

Related: Leviathan, Tamar, Arab Gas Pipeline, Eastern Mediterranean Energy Zone

Drone strikes halt loadings at Primorsk and Ust-Luga

Loadings at Russia's two largest Baltic oil ports were suspended after repeated drone strikes started fires; Reuters estimated ~40% of Russian oil export capacity (~2 mb/d) was offline, with at least 50 tankers waiting. Novorossiysk was also behind schedule after earlier attacks. Druzhba exports to Hungary and Slovakia had been halted since January.

Related: Novorossiysk, Druzhba Pipeline (Southern Branch)

QatarEnergy declares long-term force majeure; 17% of capacity out for 3-5 years

QatarEnergy declared force majeure on long-term LNG contracts with buyers in Italy, Belgium, South Korea and China. The 19 March strikes damaged two of 14 LNG trains and a GTL plant, removing 12.8 mtpa (~17% of export capacity); repairs are estimated at 3-5 years and lost revenue at ~$20bn a year.

Related: Ras Laffan LNG

Iraq declares force majeure on foreign-operated fields as Basra exports halt

Iraq's oil ministry declared force majeure on 20 March on fields operated by foreign companies after ordering shutdowns on 17 March; Basra Oil Company cut output from ~3.3 mb/d to ~0.9 mb/d with southern exports halted by the Hormuz closure. Rumaila had already cut up to 700 kb/d.

Related: Rumaila, Strait of Hormuz

Iran strikes Ras Laffan, SAMREF, Habshan and Kuwaiti refineries

In retaliation for the South Pars strike, Iran hit Qatar's Ras Laffan complex (extensive damage), UAE's Habshan gas facility and Bab field, Saudi Arabia's SAMREF refinery at Yanbu, and Kuwait's Mina al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries (Mina al-Ahmadi was hit again on 20 March). Brent rose above $110.

Related: Ras Laffan LNG, Yanbu Terminal, Mina al-Ahmadi, Habshan–Fujairah Pipeline

Iranian missile damages infrastructure serving Haifa's Bazan refinery

An Iranian missile hit the Haifa Bay area, damaging third-party infrastructure essential to the Bazan refinery; most production remained active and restoration was expected to take a few days.

Related: Eastern Mediterranean Energy Zone

Israel strikes South Pars gas processing at Asaluyeh

Israel struck gas treatment facilities at Asaluyeh serving the South Pars field, which supplies about 70% of Iran's domestic gas, triggering Iranian retaliation against Gulf energy infrastructure. Trump said the US 'knew nothing' in advance and threatened South Pars if attacks on Qatar continued.

Related: North Field / South Pars, South Pars Oil Layer

Iraq restarts crude exports via Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline

Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government resumed exports through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline to Turkey on 18 March at ~250 kb/d, with up to 200 kb/d more possible. Iraqi output had fallen to ~1.4 mb/d from ~4.2 mb/d and southern exports (3.4 mb/d pre-war) were halted.

Related: Kirkuk–Ceyhan Pipeline, Ceyhan Terminal, Kirkuk

Drone strikes halt ADNOC crude loadings at Fujairah; Shah gas field shut

Drone strikes and fires at Fujairah on 14 and 16 March halted loadings of ADNOC Murban crude (normally over 1 mb/d) at the UAE's only export outlet outside Hormuz; the port kept operating at reduced capacity. A drone attack also shut the Shah sour-gas field, which supplies at least 500 MMcf/d.

Related: Fujairah, Habshan–Fujairah Pipeline

US strikes 90 military targets on Kharg Island, spares oil terminal

CENTCOM struck about 90 military targets on Kharg Island, including mine and missile storage, while deliberately sparing the terminal that handles ~90% of Iran's crude exports. Iran warned it would destroy regional oil and gas infrastructure if its own were hit.

Related: Kharg Island

IEA agrees record 400 mb emergency stock release; US to release 172 mb

All 32 IEA members agreed a 400 million barrel collective stock release, the largest ever and the sixth in IEA history. The US announced a 172 million barrel contribution from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve and Japan about 80 million barrels. The IEA has called the disruption the largest in the history of the oil market.

Related: US Strategic Petroleum Reserve

QatarEnergy halts LNG production after attacks; TTF jumps 46%

QatarEnergy halted production after military attacks on Ras Laffan and Mesaieed industrial cities. Qatar supplies about 20% of world LNG. Dutch TTF front-month rose €14.52 to €46.52/MWh on 2 March from about €32 the previous Friday.

Related: Ras Laffan LNG, North Field / South Pars

Aramco shuts Ras Tanura refinery after drone attack

Aramco shut its 550 kb/d Ras Tanura refinery after a drone attack caused a fire, with a temporary halt in loadings reported; the Saudi energy ministry said the damage came from debris of intercepted drones. Brent rose to about $80.

Related: Ras Tanura Refinery, Ras Tanura Terminal

US-Israeli strikes on Iran; IRGC declares Strait of Hormuz closed

After US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the IRGC broadcast that no ship may pass the strait; by 2 March it limited passage to Iran-approved vessels. Major carriers suspended transits and war-risk premiums jumped. Before the war about 20 mb/d of oil (around a quarter of seaborne oil trade) and almost 20% of global LNG trade passed through Hormuz (IEA, based on Kpler). Israel shut the Leviathan and Karish gas fields as a precaution.

Related: Strait of Hormuz, Leviathan