Washington is likely to push New Delhi to increase imports of oil and LNG when Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits the country next week The administration of US President Donald Trump is looking to sell more energy resources, mainly oil and LNG, to India, which has been hit by the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington is likely to push New Delhi to increase imports of oil and LNG when Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits the country next week The administration of US President Donald Trump is looking to sell more energy resources, mainly oil and LNG, to India, which has been hit by the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Treasury lifts sanctions against UN rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 05/21/2026 - 10:23 The move was confirmed after a federal judge found the restrictions likely violated Albanese's free speech rights Francesca Albanese at a news conference in Geneva on the human rights situation in Gaza, on 15 September 2025 (AFP) Off The US has lifted sanctions against the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, after a federal judge found that the Trump administration likely violated her free speech rights. The US Treasury Department confirmed the removal of Albanese's name from its sanctions list in an update on its website on Wednesday, under the heading “International Criminal Court-related Designation Removal”. The move came a week after US district judge Richard Leon issued a temporary injunction against the sanctions, finding that the Trump administration had sought to regulate Albanese's speech because of the "idea or message expressed".
US lifts sanctions on UN expert Francesca Albanese The US Treasury Department has lifted sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, according to information published on the department’s website. The move comes a week after a federal judge temporarily blocked the sanctions. The court found that the Trump administration had likely violated Albanese’s free speech rights by sanctioning her over criticism of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
US pushes for greater energy exports to India after Iran war The Trump administration is seeking to expand energy exports to India as Washington looks to boost US energy sales following the US-Israeli war on Iran and the continuing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. US ambassador to India Sergio Gor said India has shown interest in diversifying its energy sources, opening the door to increased American exports. “India has been receptive to diversification, and what that means is buying more American energy,” Gor told Bloomberg News in a phone interview.
Iran announces 'controlled maritime zone' for ships transiting Strait of Hormuz Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority has announced the creation of a controlled maritime zone in the Strait of Hormuz requiring vessels to obtain authorisation before passing through the waterway. In a post on X, the authority said the zone extends from Kuh-e Mubarak in Iran to south of Fujairah in the UAE at the eastern entrance of the strait, and from the tip of Qeshm Island to Umm al-Quwain at the western entrance. It added that any transit through the zone “requires coordination with and authorization from the authority”, indicating tighter Iranian oversight of one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
Iran stock market reopens after nearly three-month shutdown Iran’s stock market reopened this week after a closure lasting nearly three months, with trading resuming under controlled conditions and investor restrictions. While trading sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday allowed some investors to access liquidity, broader economic difficulties remained apparent. More than one-third of the market’s major participants were absent in an effort to shield shareholders from the impact of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Al Jazeera reported.
Oil prices drop five percent as Trump signals progress in Iran talks Oil prices fell by more than five percent after US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about negotiations aimed at ending the US-Israeli war on Iran. Brent crude dropped to $105. 70 a barrel as markets reacted to Trump’s comments that talks with Iran were in “the final stages”, while he also warned that further attacks could follow if Tehran does not agree to a deal.
Iran adapts as Gulf economies and Asia bear cost of Strait of Hormuz blockade Submitted by Elis Gjevori on Wed, 05/20/2026 - 13:04 The US blockade was intended to force Tehran into concessions, but instead it is undermining perceptions of American power US Central Command Public Affairs photo showing the US enforcement of a maritime blockade against the Iran-flagged crude oil tanker vessel Herby while the latter was attempting to sail toward Iran, 24 April 2026 (US Navy/AFP) Off At the end of April, US President Donald Trump predicted that Iran was days away from its oil fields and infrastructure "exploding", crediting a US blockade on Iranian port. There is little evidence, however, that Iranian energy infrastructure has exploded, particularly since the country has decades of experience in reducing its oil output. Trump appeared to view the blockade as a silver bullet.
Washington DC [US], May 20 (ANI): The US seized an oil tanker linked to Iran in the Indian Ocean amid US President Donald Trump's constant military strike threats, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing US officials.
South Korean-flagged tanker attempts Hormuz crossing A South Korean-flagged supertanker is attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-tracking data cited by Bloomberg. The tanker, Universal Winner, began transmitting signals on Wednesday morning, showing its presence in the strait south of Iran’s Larak Island. Bloomberg reported that the vessel was following two Chinese supertankers that had travelled along a similar route and were also attempting to pass through the strategic waterway on Wednesday.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – As the Israeli regime intensifies its interdiction of protest vessels attempting to reach Gaza, the United States has announced sanctions against four flotilla organizers.
Washington DC [US], May 20 (ANI): Yields on the US government's longest-dated bonds shot up to their highest levels since 2007 on fears of inflation rising amid uncertainty around the Iran war and no clarity on when the critical Strait of Hormuz will open. The 30-year bond yields rose seven basis points to 5.
Two Chinese supertankers leave Strait of Hormuz after months-long delay Shipping data from the London Stock Exchange Group and Kpler showed that two Chinese supertankers carrying about 4 million barrels of crude oil from the Middle East departed the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after remaining in the Gulf for more than two months. The movement of the vessels comes amid continued disruptions and security concerns affecting shipping routes in the Gulf region following escalating tensions linked to the US-Israel war on Iran.
A family-run financial network accused of laundering money for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has been operating from London and moving funds through shell companies China and the UAE, according to sanctions records and leaked documents reviewed by Iran International.
Airbus orders spending cuts over fallout from war on Iran European aerospace company Airbus has instructed staff to reduce “non-essential expenses” by 10 percent amid instability linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran. “We are asking for your support in adopting several cost containment measures to help our company navigate this unstable situation,” a company document seen by AFP said. “Our specific focus is on significantly pausing all activities and costs that are not strictly essential to our industrial activities and operations … We aim to reduce these costs by -10 percent compared to the 2025 baseline.
After an 80-day shutdown, the Tehran Stock Exchange reopened on Tuesday under heavy state controls, with 42 major firms still suspended and reported curbs on large-scale selling amid uncertainty over war damage and corporate losses.
EU pledges support for farmers hit by fertiliser price surge The European Union has promised “exceptional support” for farmers affected by rising fertiliser costs linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran. Nearly half of the globally traded urea, the world’s most commonly used fertiliser, passes through the Strait of Hormuz from Gulf states, leaving agricultural markets vulnerable to disruption in the waterway. Recent interruptions to gas supplies and shipping routes have already forced fertiliser plants in the Gulf and elsewhere to reduce or halt production.
US sanctions activists aboard Gaza-bound aid flotilla The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on four people aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla organised by the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, which is also under US sanctions. Those targeted include European activists Saif Abu Keshek, Jaldia Abubakra Aueda, Hisham Abdallah Sulayman Abu Mahfuz and Mohammed Khatib. Israel has intercepted dozens of aid flotillas after more than 50 vessels departed from the Turkish port of Marmaris last week, in what organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla described as the final stage of their planned journey to Gaza.
Long viewed as merely an oil chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz is now emerging as a digital flashpoint, after Iran floated “protection fees” for subsea fiber-optic cables crossing the waterway in a move experts warn could give Tehran new leverage.
