U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth holds a briefing amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 2, 2026. Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday brushed aside concerns that the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz because of the Iran war, which has spiked…
The Callisto tanker sits anchored in Port Sultan Qaboos as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 12, 2026. Benoit Tessier | Reuters Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, held above $100 on Friday morning as the U.S.-Iran war heads toward its third…
Russian supertanker Astro Lupus waits to unload its cargo of the first direct shipment of Russian crude oil on July 3, 2002 in the Gulf of Mexico. Pool | Afp | Getty Images The U.S. on Thursday temporarily authorized the purchase of Russian oil stranded at sea to stabilize energy markets. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott…
The U.S. Navy will begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as “militarily possible,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Sky News on Thursday. “That was always in our planning, that there’s the chance that the U.S. Navy or perhaps an international coalition will be escorting oil tankers through,” Bessent said in that…
Son of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, attends a demonstration to mark Jerusalem day in Tehran. Morteza Nikoubazl | Nurphoto | Getty Images Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz maritime passage should be continued as a “tool to pressure the enemy,” in his…
An oil pumpjack operates in the Inglewood Oil Field on March 10, 2026 near Los Angeles, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images LONDON — European stocks are expected to open lower on Thursday as investors monitor the Iran war and global oil prices. The U.K.’s FTSE index is seen opening 0.2% lower, Germany’s DAX down…
The energy price shock that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine four years ago is fresh in the minds of European policymakers as the conflict in Iran once again drives oil and gas prices higher. Experts, however, think this time could be different. Fears of a full-blown energy crisis on that scale — which saw oil…
A pump jack is seen at sunrise near Bakersfield, California October 14, 2014. Lucy Nicholson | Reuters Oil prices surged more than 8% with Brent crude hitting $100 per barrel Thursday, as traders remain unconvinced that release of government stockpiles could offset the massive supply shock triggered by the war in the Middle East. The…
The International Energy Agency on Wednesday agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil to address the supply disruption triggered by the Iran war, the largest such action in the organization’s history. The IEA did not set out a timeline for when the stocks would hit the market. It said that the reserves would be…
Naval units from Iran and Russia carry out to simulation of rescue a hijacked vessel during the joint naval drills held at the Port of Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz in Hormozgan, Iran on February 19, 2026. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images A cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz has been…
