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A U.S. naval blockade of Iran is a major, open-ended military endeavor that could trigger fresh retaliation from Tehran and put tremendous strain on an already fragile ceasefire, experts say. President Donald Trump, in a social media post after no deal emerged from peace talks this weekend in Islamabad, said the U.S. Navy "will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz." The U.S. military's Central Command later said the blockade will only [Read more]

U.S. Central Command said it will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT), after President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy would start ​blockading the Strait of Hormuz. "The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of [Read more]

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that any military vessels attempting to approach the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the two-week U.S. ceasefire and be dealt with harshly and decisively. The strait is under the control and 'smart management' of Iran's Navy, the Guards said in a statement reported by Iranian state media, adding it is "open for the safe passage of non-military vessels in accordance with specific regulations". (Reporting by Ahmed Tolba and Hatem [Read more]

A sailing vessel was approached by a skiff with armed men on board 54 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Hodeidah, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Sunday. UKMTO said the skiff was turned away after the master deployed a flare. (Reporting by Menna Alaa El-Din and Muhammad Al Gebaly Editing by David Goodman ) [Read more]

President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would immediately start blockading the Strait of Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. Trump made his remarks in a Truth Social post hours after U.S-.Iran peace talks ended without a deal. Trump said the meeting "went well, most points were agreed," but added the two sides had not agreed on Iran's nuclear program. "Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the [Read more]

Iran expects to restore most damaged refining and distribution facilities to 70–80% of their pre-attack capacity within one to two months, a senior oil official said, as authorities work to recover from a wave of strikes on energy infrastructure. Deputy Minister of Oil Mohammad Sadeq Azimifar told the Student News Network that repair work had begun and that part of the Lavan refinery is expected to resume operations within about 10 days, with other units coming back online [Read more]

Saudi Arabia has restored full oil pumping capacity through the East-West pipelineto about seven million barrels per day, it said on Sunday, days after providing an assessment of damage on its energy sector from attacks during the Iran conflict. The ministry said energy facilities and the pipeline affected by attacks during the conflict have recovered and restored operational capacity. Saudi did not specify who launched the attacks, but the kingdom has intercepted many Iranian missiles and [Read more]

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any attempt by military vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz would be met with "a strong response," saying only non-military vessels would be allowed to pass under specific regulations, the IRGC said in a statement carried by Iranian media. (Reporting by Enas Alashray in Cairo; Editing by Alistair Bell) [Read more]

German Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil on Saturday said government action was the best way to bring down soaring petrol and diesel prices, deepening a rift within the coalition over how to best tackle the current energy crisis. The Iran war has severely disrupted global energy supplies, hitting Europe's largest economy with higher costs for gas and oil at a time when it is already struggling with tepid growth and tariffs. "Intervening in the market is actually the most [Read more]

The discount on Western Canada Select crude oil to North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate futures was unchanged on Friday. WCS for May delivery in Hardisty, Alberta, settled at $15.55 a barrel below the U.S. benchmark WTI, according to brokerage CalRock, flat on Thursday's close. * The WCS differential has been volatile since the start of the U.S. war on Iran, with competing variables pulling and pushing on relative prices for Canadian heavy crude, said Wood Mackenzie analyst Dylan [Read more]