Petty thefts of basic food items are becoming a symbol of Iran's economic hardship, according to a newspaper investigation published on Wednesday that linked supermarket shoplifting to inflation and shrinking purchasing power.
US Centcom says it redirected three more commercial vessels The US Central Command (Centcom) said on Wednesday that it has redirected three more commercial vessels as part of continued enforcement of its blockade against Iran. In a post on X, Centcom said that 48 ships have been redirected, two disabled and two boarded since the blockade was introduced on 5 August. A U.
US removes sanctions from three IRGC-linked entities The US has removed counterterrorism sanctions from two aircraft and three airlines with links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) according to details posted to the US treasury department's website, Reuters reports.
Satellite image reveals oil spill off Oman's coast A slick that is consistent with an oil leak emanating from a ship can be seen on a satellite image taken on 28 July and just published by Copernicus Sentinel Data 2026. The tanker belonging to Russia's sanctioned shadow fleet has been stranded for over a month off the coast of Oman. The ship was rocked by explosions, a maritime security firm told AFP, but their cause remains unclear.
An Iranian state-owned bank has frozen accounts belonging to the National Iranian Oil Company over outstanding debt obligations, the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency reported on Wednesday.
Iran says deal with Oman would not immediately reopen Strait of Hormuz Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reported that an agreement between Iran and Oman on shipping routes would not immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz. A source speaking to IRIB said the "possible agreement between Iran and Oman on the arrangements for vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz has nothing to do with the immediate opening of this strait". They also added that the negotiations were conducted exclusively between Tehran and Muscat, and had "nothing to do with the United States".
US Centcom says Hormuz remains 'free and open' US Central Command (Centcom) said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz "remains free and open" for commercial vessels amid the Iranian blockade of the waterway. "Over the past three months, US forces have assisted more than 1,000 vessels in successfully transiting the strait despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, and these transits continue today," Centcom said in a post on X. The southern route through the Strait of Hormuz remains free and open for all commercial vessels seeking to transit the international waterway.
Saudi Aramco reports bumper profits as it bypasses Strait of Hormuz Saudi Aramco said on Tuesday its profits surged 33 percent in the second quarter of this year, as the kingdom benefited from the US-Israeli war on Iran, which drove up energy prices, while its oil pipeline allowed it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The state-owned Saudi Arabian oil giant’s adjusted net income rose to $33. 4bn from $25.
Belgium relied entirely on imports of the fuel from Russia in July, according to Bloomberg The EU has been importing record volumes of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) despite a push to fully stop imports from Russia, Bloomberg has reported. Plans exist to end long-term imports of Russian LNG from next year after the EU already banned purchases under new short-term contracts.
Saudi Aramco reports bumper profits as it bypasses Strait of Hormuz Submitted by Sean Mathews on Tue, 08/04/2026 - 21:09 East-West pipeline has been a model for states from the UAE to Syria looking to get around Iran's chokehold of waterway Aramco chief executive Amin Nasser speaks during the annual Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 29, 2024 (Fayez Nureldine/AFP) Off Saudi Aramco said on Tuesday its profits surged 33 percent in the second quarter of this year, as the kingdom benefited from the US-Israeli war on Iran , which drove up energy prices, while its oil pipeline allowed it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The state-owned Saudi Arabian oil giant’s adjusted net income rose to $33. 4bn from $25.
US Centcom says it redirected total of 45 vessels to enforce ‘blockade against Iran’ The US military says that, as of 4 August, US forces have redirected a total of 45 commercial vessels, disabled 2 and boarded 2 in order to "ensure compliance" with the blockade of Iranian ports it imposed in mid-July, according to a post from the US Central Command (Centcom) on X. That is one more vessel than the total of 44 announced by Centcom yesterday. A U.
Washington DC [US], August 5 (ANI): A United States official has said that any temporary shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz would not require permits, approvals or fees, asserting that no single party controls navigation through the strategic waterway, according to Al Jazeera.
White House set to extend Jones Act waiver to push down gas prices The White House is expected to extend the Jones Act waiver in the coming days as a tool to try to hold down gas prices as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to Reuters, citing sources. The century-old Jones Act requires cargo moving between US ports to be carried on ships built and owned by the US and operated by American workers, and the waiver aims to lower gas prices by increasing shipping flexibility and reducing transport bottlenecks. The current waiver is set to expire on 16 August, which is already the longest suspension of the Jones Act rules since it was enacted, and has been used nearly 200 times since the start of the Iran war.
Iran is exploring using two of Pakistan’s ports to keep trade moving amid the US blockade of its own ports, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent both announced talks had progressed to allow shipments to resume.
Oil prices fall amid hopes of US-Iran deal Oil prices plunged after Qatar said US-Iran negotiations had resumed, and the US treasury secretary suggested a deal could happen "today or tomorrow". These announcements eased concerns over crude supply disruptions that had sent prices soaring in recent months. The main US oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, dropped five percent to $76.
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the vulnerability of global trade to a single maritime chokepoint, with early data showing sharp falls in exports of energy, fertilizers and industrial products.
Tankers carrying Iraqi crude have passed through Strait of Hormuz Iraqi state media reported on Tuesday that tankers carrying Iraqi crude oil have passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Aramco is routing crude around the Strait of Hormuz via its East-West pipeline as the Iran-related crisis has cut shipping through the strait to a tenth of pre-conflict levels, Chief Executive Amin Nasser said on Tuesday.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian administration has plans in place to counter a hybrid economic war waged by hostile countries, Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ali Madanizadeh said.
