Shipping shrugs off Hormuz Strait incidents
Despite contradictory claims of increased tensions in Mideast Gulf waters and possible rapprochement between the US and Iran, the situation appears business as usual for freight
Washington and Tehran are once again in talks. The discussions are not public but likely address issues such as prisoners, regional conflicts and tensions, the US-led sanctions on Iran and the Islamic Republic’s a ambitions. And while the enmity between the two countries might seem impossible to bridge, the two parties were able to reach a wide-ranging accommodation relatively recently. The 2015 JCPOA deal loosened sanctions in exchange for Iran halting its nuclear projects, although of course that deal was subsequently scrapped when the Republicans retook the White House. But for a brief window while the JCPOA was in place, Iranian crude flowed into the market, including deliveries to Europ
Also in this section
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
1 December 2025
The North African producer’s first bidding round in almost two decades is an important milestone but the recent extension suggests a degree of trepidation






