Geopolitical Leverage and the Bab el-Mandeb Chokepoint Middle East analyst Fawaz Gerges described the move to Reuters as a game changer, noting that it alters the balance of power and gives far greater geopolitical and geoeconomic leverage over Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, the United States, and global trade. Diplomatic Shifts and the Omani-Iranian Meetings Riyadh … Read more
Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled a slate of new initiatives spanning artificial intelligence, trade, and economic cooperation at the annual BRICS leaders’ summit in New Delhi, according to official reports from Xinhua cited by Reuters. The push aims to weld the expanded emerging economies bloc into a practical platform for Global South development. Xi Jinping … Read more
Finance ministers and central bank governors of BRICS nations called for a sweeping reform of global developmental financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, during meetings held ahead of the upcoming BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, according to a joint statement reported by Reuters. The finance chiefs cited the growing … Read more
New Delhi is preparing to welcome the BRICS Leaders’ Summit on September 12–13, aiming to elevate the international stature of the group even as an American-led military campaign against Iran divides its members, placing Tehran and Abu Dhabi on opposite sides of the hostilities. According to reports from New Delhi, the high-stakes meeting takes place … Read more
Clandestine oil shipments sailing without transponder signals through the Strait of Hormuz have helped ease a global crude shortage, yet persistent uncertainty over exact export volumes has driven international oil prices higher, according to market data analyzed by Reuters. Crude Flows and the ‘Dark Crossing’ Phenomenon Tankers carrying Middle Eastern crude have increasingly relied on … Read more
U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, including one vessel off the coast of Kharg Island near Iran’s key oil export hub, according to U.S. Central Command. The military action followed a ballistic missile attack launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against two U.S. Navy ships, according to statements from Central Command. … Read more
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company vessel attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have escalated security concerns for global energy shipments, according to Emirati state news agency WAM and regional reporting. An ADNOC vessel came under attack while transiting the vital waterway, resulting in no reported injuries and the situation being brought under control, the company … Read more
Saudi crude exports from the Red Sea are increasingly vanishing from view as tankers switch off tracking signals to avoid attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, according to ship-tracking firms and industry analysts. The shift obscures visibility into global oil supply assessments and creates wide discrepancies in export estimates used by the International Energy Agency and … Read more
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to six vessels on August 11, falling significantly below the 10-day average of approximately 11 ships, according to Kpler data. Strait of Hormuz Traffic Trends The current volume of maritime traffic represents a sharp reduction from pre-war levels, when 130 to 140 ships typically transited the waterway … Read more
Iran announced on Sunday, August 9, 2026, that a diplomatic agreement with Oman defining new shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz is in its final stages, though Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reiterated that the vital waterway will not reopen until the United States meets several strict conditions. The Strait of Hormuz previously carried a … Read more