WASHINGTON -- The US Treasury Department has extended for another 30 days a sanctions waiver allowing at-risk countries to purchase Russian oil shipments at sea, as supply disruptions linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran continue to roil global energy markets.
A reprieve that was to run only until May 16 has reportedly been prolonged to cool soaring energy prices The US has once again extended a sanctions waiver that allows Russian crude and petroleum products already loaded onto tankers to be delivered and sold, Reuters has reported, citing a source familiar with the decision.
Plan floated in Iranian media to extract revenues from US tech firms would rely on intimidation and is legally dubious Could undersea cables – the sinews of the global internet – become the next frontier in the US-Israel war against Iran ? Last week, two Iranian state-linked media channels, Tasnim and Fars, suggested Iran could leverage its power over the strait of Hormuz, the 25-mile (40km) stretch between Iran and Oman, by charging US tech companies to use the internet cables that traverse the strait. Tasnim implied this could be a lucrative proposition, netting Iran hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A source close to the Iranian negotiating team told Tasnim that, unlike its previous texts, the United States has accepted in its new proposal to waive Iran’s oil sanctions during the negotiation period.
Europol said on Monday that 14,200 posts and links tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) had been targeted in a coordinated operation against online terrorist material.
Wall Street Journal warns of rising US fuel prices amid export surge An analysis by the Wall Street Journal said the United States has so far managed to cover domestic energy demand and offset part of the drop in Gulf oil production caused by the war, but warned that pressures are growing as inventories decline and refineries operate at full capacity. The report said American oil producers have only marginally increased output while fuel exports have surged. According to data from Kpler, ports in New York exported 174,000 barrels per day of gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products last month, about 10 times the level recorded a year earlier.
CNN: Iran eyeing control over key internet cable routes CNN reported that Iran is seeking to expand its regional influence by focusing on submarine internet cables that carry communications and financial data between Europe, Asia and Gulf countries following tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the report, Iranian authorities said major technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon would be required to pay for submarine cables passing through the region and comply with Iranian laws. CNN noted that submarine cables form the backbone of global internet infrastructure, and disruptions could affect banking systems, military communications, artificial intelligence services and international trade.
(260518) -- TEHRAN, May 18, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Interior Ministry spokesperson Ali Zeinivand speaks at a press conference in Tehran, Iran, May 16, 2026. Zeinivand said on Saturday that the country has no concerns about supplying essential goods, emphasizing that Iran cannot be blockaded.
The news outlet claimed that the island has received attack UAVs amid fear of an invasion Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and discussed possible attacks on US assets in the region, Axios claimed on Sunday, citing classified intelligence reports.
The bloc has been struggling to fill its storage facilities amid the Middle East crisis and soaring prices The EU has been filling its underground gas storage facilities at record-low rates for three consecutive days this week, Russia's state-owned giant Gazprom has said, citing figures by the Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) association.
New posts 09:27 US Lets Russian Oil Waiver Linked To Iran War Expire, Reimposing Sanctions WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration has allowed a controversial waiver on sanctions targeting Russian seaborne oil to expire, reimposing restrictions that had temporarily enabled countries such as India to continue purchasing Russian crude despite Western efforts to curb Moscow's wartime revenues.
US exemption on Russian oil expires amid rising energy prices A US exemption allowing the delivery and sale of Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products expired on Saturday amid rising global energy prices linked to the war involving Iran. In April, the United States Department of the Treasury issued a waiver permitting shipments of Russian oil loaded onto vessels beginning on 17 April. Washington introduced the exemption in an effort to ease pressure on global energy markets and stabilise fuel prices.
Kachchh (Gujarat) [India], May 17 (ANI): A Marshall Islands-flagged tanker carrying approximately 20,000 tonnes of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) has arrived at Kandla Port in Gujarat's Kachchh district. The vessel identified as the tanker 'Symi' crossed the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz on May 13 before reaching the Indian port.
Bloomberg reports tanker resumes voyage after US detention Bloomberg reported that a giant tanker resumed its voyage after being delayed for several days in the Gulf of Oman following detention by US forces. The vessel is reportedly carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude oil and is heading to Vietnam. Separately, The Financial Times reported that daily shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped dramatically amid the ongoing regional conflict.
Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 17 (ANI): MDMK founder Vaiko condemned the recent fuel price hike triggered by the West Asia crisis and said the burden should not be put on the common man. He also said that the fuel hike will hit salaried and the middle class. 'We condemn the hike in petrol and diesel, which will affect, particularly, the salaried people and the middle class.
US Centcom says 78 vessels redirected under Iran blockade The United States Central Command said Saturday that 78 commercial vessels had been redirected and four disabled as part of efforts to enforce President Donald Trump’s blockade on ships travelling to and from Iran through the Strait of Hormuz. “As of May 16, 78 commercial ships have been redirected, and 4 have been disabled to ensure compliance,” Centcom said on X. Regional tensions have remained elevated since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February, triggering retaliatory attacks by Tehran and the closure of the strategic waterway.
Tehran [Iran], May 17 (ANI): Head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee Ebrahim Azizi on Saturday said that Iran has prepared a 'professional mechanism' to regulate maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz through a designated route, which will be unveiled soon.
'Double standards': Iran criticises US over Francesca Albanese sanctions case Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi criticised the United States after a federal court temporarily suspended sanctions against UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. Reacting to the ruling, Gharibabadi said “human rights in America’s lexicon are respected only until they reach the Israeli regime”, adding that Washington responds with “sanctions, threats and intimidation” when accountability over Gaza is raised. He said sanctioning a UN special rapporteur “lays bare the true face of America’s human rights policy” and reflects “double standards” that protect allies while punishing critics.
Iran’s internet blackout and the US blockade are pushing the country toward a deeper economic crisis, experts told the Eye for Iran podcast, warning that Tehran is compounding foreign pressure with a self-inflicted assault on its own digital economy.
An analysis of oil export data offers clues about which nations have benefited from higher prices, and which have lost a lot of revenue.
