Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaking with CNBC on Aug. 4th, 2026. CNBC The U.S. will be applying economic measures “that have never been seen on Iran,” according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before, and the continued blockade in the Strait of…
The US Coast Guard seized advanced weapons and lethal aid from Iran, destined for Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in the Red Sea on Jan. 28, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Thursday, on February 15, 2024 in Tampa, Florida, United States. The boarding team discovered over 200 packages that contained medium-range ballistic missile components, explosives,…
A view of commercial cargo vessels and crude oil tankers are anchored in the Gulf of Oman, off the coast of Muscat, Oman, on June 21, 2026, as they prepare to transit through the critical Strait of Hormuz. Shady Alassar | Anadolu | Getty Images Oil prices remain below their recent peaks even as prospects…
Oil prices fell sharply Tuesday after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated there may be a deal to open the key Strait of Hormuz as soon as this week. Brent, the international oil benchmark, slid 5% to $79.51 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate futures lost 5.7% to settle at at $75.77. “We are in talks with…
An oilfield crew, contracted by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), works a service rig during a state-funded oil well plugging operation in Midland, Texas, US, on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. Eli Hartman | Bloomberg | Getty Images Oil prices dropped Friday on a report that Pakistan is looking for a way to restart talks…
Oil well pumpjacks at work in the oil fields of North Dakota. John Coletti | Photodisc | Getty Images Oil prices were 4% higher on Wednesday morning following the 11th consecutive round of U.S. strikes against Iran overnight, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Strait of Hormuz remains a sticking point between the…
Iraq and Syria signed an agreement Friday to rebuild an oil pipeline that would provide an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. Baghdad and Damascus signed the deal at a Chamber of Commerce summit in Washington on U.S. investment in Iraq. Energy Secretary Chris Wright presided over the signing by Basra Oil Company CEO Bassem…
A woman crosses Tehran’s Enghelab Square on July 15, 2026, past a giant anti-U.S. billboard featuring U.S. President Donald Trump in a coffin with text in Persian reading “We Kill Trump”. Afp | Getty Images Iran warned Thursday that it would “crush” key targets in the Middle East if U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to…
An F-35B Lighting II, attached to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, takes off from the flight deck of America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7), May 13, 2026. Courtesy: U.S. Navy U.S. forces launched strikes against Iranian targets shortly before the U.S. resumed its naval blockade of Iranian ports in and around the…
This frame grab taken from AFPTV video footage on July 12, 2026 shows cargo ships anchoring near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates at Khor Fakkan. – | Afp | Getty Images Iran responded to a fresh wave of strikes from U.S. forces by launching an attack on…
