Persian Gulf

US crude prices surged above $100 a barrel after Politico reported the US will not implement an export ban

China won't help the United States reopen the Strait of Hormuz as requested by President Donald Trump, but it is probably welcoming the delay in Trump's highly anticipated trip to Beijing as the US risks getting bogged down in the Middle East, analysts say. The latest developments are unfolding as Trump's Iran war, in its third week, is faced with mounting pressure as oil has stopped moving through the strait and US allies have refused to step up to secure the strait. That has produced concerns that China, the United States' biggest geopolitical rival, could stand to benefit from a war that some say was ill-considered. "President Trump's request to delay his long-awaited summit with President Xi Jinping underscores how significantly he underestimated the fallout from Operation Epic Fury," said Ali Wyne, senior research and advocacy adviser for US-China relations at the International Crisis Group. "A show of US force that was meant to intimidate Beijing has instead served to punctur

A US attack or a move to seize control of Iran's main oil export hub could cripple the country's ability to profit from its natural resources, but it would also risk sending energy prices even higher

US forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile near Hormuz, said US Centcom

Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Lin Jian said the recent tense situation in the Strait of Hormuz is causing disruptions in the world trade

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said his country is ready to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but only as part of a mission separate from the current Middle East war. "We are not a party to the conflict, and therefore France will never take part in operations to reopen or liberate the Strait of Hormuz," Macron said, responding to US President Donald Trump's call for European nations to send warships to the Persian Gulf. Speaking ahead of a security meeting at the Elysee presidential palace, he stressed any mission would require "discussions and de-escalation with Iran" and must be "entirely separate from the ongoing military operations and bombings".

While some European countries said they were discussing ways to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, several rejected President Trump's calls to send warships

The war in the Middle East raged on multiple fronts Monday, as the U.S. and Israel pummeled military targets in Iran's capital, Israel stepped up its campaign against Iran-backed militants in Lebanon and Iran retaliated with a drone strike that temporarily forced the closure of Dubai's airport, a crucial hub for travelers. Fears of a global energy crisis persisted, even as a small number of ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil is usually transported. Iranian strikes on commercial ships in and around the strait - and even just the threat of attacks - have slowed shipping to a trickle, dramatically increasing the price of oil and pressuring Washington to do something to ease the pain for consumers and the global economy. Brent crude, the international standard, remained over $100 a barrel on Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump said he has demanded that roughly a half-dozen countries send warships to keep the Strait of ...

Iran's ambassador to New Delhi met Indian foreign ministry officials on Monday to discuss the issue

The ships were granted safe transit through the strait, which has been all but closed for nearly two weeks, after a deal between New Delhi and Tehran

As several India-flagged vessels remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Iran's Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, on Friday said that "we will try our best" to resolve the issue. Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Fathali said, "We believe that Iran and India are friends. We have common interests, we have common faith." As the war entered its fourteenth day, with no end in sight, the Iranian envoy said, "Iran doesn't want war, but Iran is ready for war." While US President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that "we're not finished yet", Iran continued to remain defiant and used the choking of the strategic Strait of Hormuz as leverage against the US-Israel combine. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic narrow sea lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Hundreds of ships have been stranded in this maritime lane since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, and Tehran targeted the region i

Before the war, about 80 oil and gas tankers crossed the strait daily, moving roughly 20 million barrels; Now, shipping has plunged, with barely one or two vessels able to pass each day

The Directorate General of Shipping also said that an attack on a port in Oman has resulted in the deaths of three Indian seafarers and left one injured aboard foreign-flagged vessels

A huge number of Indians split their lives across the Arabian Sea, remitting $125 billion a year, supporting their families and the Indian economy

The global energy market has been transfixed by the conflict between Israel and Iran, including the possibility the US may decide to join the assault

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday left for home after wrapping up his two-day "successful" visit to Kuwait during which the two countries elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership, marking a new era of bilateral cooperation and growth. "A historic & successful visit to Kuwait concludes! PM @narendramodi emplanes for New Delhi," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X. Modi's visit to Kuwait was the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the Gulf nation in 43 years. During his visit, Modi held extensive talks with the country's top leadership, including Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, with whom he discussed boosting ties in information technology, pharmaceuticals, fintech, infrastructure and security. "In line with the close ties between our nations, we have elevated our partnership to a strategic one and I am optimistic that our friendship will flourish even more in the times to come," Modi said in a post on X. Modi

The fragmentation will not be permanent, but for now it's making it tougher for import-dependent nations like India and South Korea to diversify their sources of oil supply

The vessel sank 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) off the Iranian coast

Iranian authorities have accused Israel of "inducing panic" in the Persian Gulf while rejecting the country's claim that Tehran was involved in a blast aboard an Israel-owned ship last week

US aviation regulator FAA has also asked all US airlines to stop operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman