Iran says ships can pass Hormuz if they coordinate with navy Iran says commercial vessels can still transit the Strait of Hormuz provided they coordinate their passage with Iranian naval forces. Iran’s foreign ministry indicated that shipping through the strategic waterway remains possible if vessels notify and work with the country’s navy, according to remarks reported by Mehr News Agency.
Oil tanker 'armada' moves to Red Sea with closure of Strait of Hormuz Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 14:57 Tankers still have to pass the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where the Houthis have attacked ships in recent years Boats manoeuvring around a tanker during a military exercise in the Strait of Hormuz by members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corp, on 17 February 2026 (Sepah News/AFP) Off A massive flotilla of tankers is rushing to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast to pick up crude oil that has been diverted as a result of Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Between 24 and 30 large crude carriers are en route to the Saudi Arabian port city of Yanbu, where the East-West pipeline terminates, according to ship tracking data reported by Bloomberg and The Financial Times on Thursday. With Iran having effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, the 1,200km East-West pipeline is now the juggernaut for Gulf oil exports.
Nepal to ration cooking gas over fears of nationwide shortage Nepal will begin rationing cooking gas over fears of shortages amid ongoing US-Israeli attacks on Iran, an official said on Thursday. Chandika Prasad Bhatta, executive director of state-run Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), said that from Friday, authorities would refill only half of consumers’ empty cylinders to prolong its stocks of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The statement triggered panic among consumers, who formed long queues outside refilling plants across the country, but Bhatta emphasised that there were enough supplies of LPG.
British tourist faces Dubai prison sentence for 'filming Iranian missiles' Submitted by Imran Mulla on Thu, 03/12/2026 - 12:48 Man from London, aged 60, is charged with 20 others over videos and online posts related to missile attacks on Dubai Dubai's skyline on 11 March 2026 (AFP) Off A British tourist is facing two years in prison in Dubai for allegedly filming missiles hitting the city, as the United Arab Emirates cracks down on those sharing what it calls "rumours". The Londoner, aged 60, was arrested on Monday night and has been charged alongside 20 others over videos and online posts related to Iranian missile attacks on Dubai. He reportedly deleted the video immediately when asked to and insisted he did not intend to break the law.
IEA director says energy markets at 'critical turning point' IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Thursday that global energy markets are at a "critical turning point," after his agency on Wednesday recommended a coordinated release of global reserve oil in the face of the Iran war. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz prompted the IEA's announcement, he said at an Istanbul press conference. The International Energy Agency, made up of major oil consuming nations, recommended releasing 400 million barrels from global strategic reserves to dampen one of the worst oil shocks since the 1970s, the biggest such intervention in history.
Italy joins IEA oil reserve release with 9 million barrels Italy will contribute with 9 million barrels to a coordinated release of strategic oil reserves, joining other International Energy Agency members, a government source said on Thursday. Asked about the timing, the source said "availability was immediate. " The IEA recommended on Wednesday the release of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest such move in its history, to try to restrain soaring crude prices amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Iran to allow India-flagged tankers pass through Strait of Hormuz, Indian source says Iran will allow India-flagged tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil trade, an Indian source said on Thursday. An Iranian source denied allowing the tankers to pass through. This handout photo taken on 11 March, 2026 and released by the Royal Thai Navy shows smoke rising from the Thai bulk carrier 'Mayuree Naree' near the Strait of Hormuz after an attack.
Russia's Dmitriev says he discussed global energy crisis with US counterparts Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on Thursday he had discussed the current energy crisis with his US counterparts as part of a meeting of the US-Russia working group on economy that took place in Florida. "Today, many countries, primarily the United States, are beginning to better understand the key, systemic role of Russian oil and gas in ensuring the stability of the global economy, as well as the inefficiency and destructive nature of sanctions against Russia," Dmitriev said in remarks posted on his Telegram channel.
Oman evacuates vessels from key oil export terminal: Report Oman has evacuated all vessels from its main oil export terminal at Mina Al Fahal as a precautionary measure, Bloomberg reported. The terminal, which sits outside the disrupted Strait of Hormuz, is one of the few remaining ports where crude from the region can be shipped to global markets.
Iran condemns new EU sanctions over alleged rights abuses Iran has criticised a new round of European Union sanctions targeting officials over alleged human rights violations. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced earlier that member states approved sanctions on 19 Iranian officials and entities. In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described the measures as “absurd”, “immoral” and “utterly unlawful”.
IEA to release one-third of total oil reserve stock to combat energy crisis Submitted by Sean Mathews on Wed, 03/11/2026 - 16:12 Vessels carrying Iranian crude for China have been passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but it's effectively closed for western ships A general view shows Ras Tanura's oil production plant near Dammam in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, on 27 December 2004 (Bilal Qabalan/AFP) Off The International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday that its member countries agreed to unlock 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves, as the US-Israeli war on Iran cut off supplies from the Gulf. "The oil market challenges we are facing are unprecedented in scale; therefore, I am very glad that IEA member countries have responded with an emergency collective action of unprecedented size," IEA executive director Fatih Birol said. The release is a historic record for IEA member countries and far exceeds the 182 million barrels of oil they released in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine jolted energy markets.
G7 agrees to keep sanctions on Russia despite war on Iran, Macron says G7 leaders have agreed to maintain sanctions against Russia despite the current turmoil in the Middle East and its impact on global energy markets, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday. Speaking after a call with G7 leaders, Macron said the US-Israeli war with Iran and its consequences for oil prices did not justify easing the measures against Moscow. Macron also said the International Energy Agency’s decision to release 400 million barrels of oil from global reserves (the largest such move in its history) would account for 14.
Trump says G7 decisions having ‘tremendous impact’ after record oil stock release recommendation US President Donald Trump said decisions taken by world leaders were having a "tremendous impact" during a call with Group of Seven (G7) leaders discussing the war with Iran and its economic fallout. Speaking in a video clip shared by the French presidency, Trump said: "I think we are having a tremendous impact, unbelievable actually, on the world. " The G7 meeting chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron came shortly after the International Energy Agency (IEA) recommended releasing 400 million barrels of oil from global reserves to help curb soaring prices linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
UN aid chief urges ‘humanitarian exemptions’ to get aid through Strait of Hormuz The United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher warned on Wednesday that the US-Israeli war on Iran was impacting aid supply routes and urged all parties to ensure “exemptions for our humanitarian supplies”. “I’m worried that actually further escalation will damage other supply routes,” Fletcher told reporters in Geneva, saying he was “appealing to all the parties to try and secure those routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, for our humanitarian traffic, and ... to ensure that we have humanitarian exemptions for our humanitarian supplies”.
US dropped charges against Turkey’s Halkbank in Hamas hostage deal, court documents show Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Wed, 03/11/2026 - 12:55 Washington settled multibillion dollar Iran sanctions case because Ankara helped Trump to secure a Hamas hostage deal, documents say Halkbank is one of Turkey's biggest banks (AFP/File) Off Washington has dropped a multibillion dollar case against Turkish state lender Halkbank for violating sanctions against Iran after Ankara helped secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in 2025. The revelations were made in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York court filings reviewed by Middle East Eye on Wednesday. In 2019, US prosecutors charged Halkbank with fraud, money laundering and conspiracy for allegedly helping Iran evade sanctions through money service providers and front companies in Iran , Turkey and the UAE .
EU sanctions 19 Iranian officials, including Mojtaba Khamenei, over protests The EU has approved new sanctions on 19 Iranian officials and entities, its foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Wednesday, citing "serious human rights violations" during Tehran's deadly crackdown on mass protests. Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was not among those hit by the measures, according to diplomatic sources. "As the Iran war continues, the EU will protect its interests and pursue those responsible for domestic repression," Kallas said, announcing the sanctions agreed by EU member states.
Iran says oil will reach $200 a barrel, warns of 'continuous strikes' Iran will switch from "reciprocal hits" after attacks to continuous strikes on adversaries, and the US will not be able to control oil prices, the spokesperson for Tehran's Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters said on Wednesday. "We won't allow even one litre of oil to reach the U. S.
IEA to recommend record release of strategic oil stocks because of Iran war, sources say The International Energy Agency (IEA) is to recommend the release of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest such move in IEA history, three sources said on Wednesday, to try to restrain soaring crude prices amid the US-Israeli war with Iran. One of the sources said the release would be spaced over at least two months, while Spain's energy minister said countries would have up to 90 days to release that volume. Three sources said the Paris-based IEA would publish its recommendation on Wednesday, ahead of a meeting of G7 leaders chaired by France.
'Swinging into action:' The Saudi Arabian pipeline designed to bypass Hormuz Submitted by Sean Mathews on Tue, 03/10/2026 - 20:08 Saudi Arabia is pumping oil to the Red Sea, but this new route will not address fuel shortages and puts the Houthis back in play A handout picture provided by Energy giant Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia's oil company, shows one of its engineers at Yanbu refinery in Medina province, on 16 January 2011 (Joe Lynch/Saudi Aramco/AFP) Off Oil tankers were aflame in the Gulf, and Saudi Arabia was worried Iran would cut its access to markets by closing the Strait of Hormuz. Four decades later, the desert pipeline the kingdom built in the 1980s to bypass the strait is “swinging” into action as the world faces an unprecedented plunge in oil supplies. Saudi Aramco chief executive officer Amin Nasser said on Tuesday that they are ramping up crude flows through the East-West pipeline, and it will hit full daily capacity - seven million barrels - in a few days.
Iran arrests 30 'spies' belonging to US and Israel, intelligence ministry says The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence said that arrested "30 spies, agents, and internal field operatives belonging to the American and [Israeli] enemy".
