Moscow says it has always treated Western energy sanctions as hollow and illegal The US has renewed a sanctions exemption allowing Russian crude and petroleum products already loaded onto tankers to be delivered and sold freely, the US Treasury Department has announced. The move came despite a pledge by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made two days prior that the waiver would not be extended.
New Delhi [India], April 19 (ANI): Slowdown in the US economy amid rising geopolitical tensions and energy shocks has raised concerns with limited but notable implications for India, noted a report by SBI research.
LA port chief says fuel costs surge amid Iran conflict Speaking to CNN, Gene Seroka said the war involving Iran has doubled ship fuel costs, pushing up trade expenses and ultimately consumer prices. He said bunker fuel prices have surged sharply since the conflict began, with shipping companies passing those costs on through higher freight rates. Seroka said the disruption, now lasting about six weeks, has also caused congestion at major Asian ports as cargo bound for the Middle East stalls or is rerouted.
Hormuz closure deepens fuel crisis in South Asia The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has worsened a fuel crisis in Bangladesh, which imports most of its energy needs, Reuters reported. Long queues have formed outside petrol stations, universities have been shut and authorities have cut working hours to conserve energy, as the disruption to oil flows affects Asian economies. Drivers said allocations were too low for long journeys.
Turkiye seeks to extend Iran gas deal, minister says Turkey wants to extend a natural gas supply contract with Iran that is due to expire in the coming months, but talks have not yet begun because of the war, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said. Speaking on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, he said Ankara remains interested in securing Iranian gas to ensure supply continuity. “There’s no negotiation right now, but we might sit and discuss a potential extension,” Bayraktar said.
Matteo Salvini says lifting EU restrictions is key to averting an economic crisis Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has called on the EU to resume imports of Russian oil and gas, arguing that the bloc should prioritize energy security.
Iran to prioritise ships paying 'costs of security' in Strait of Hormuz Iran will prioritise vessels that pay fees to cross the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian official told CNN. “Given the limitation on the number of vessels that will be allowed to pass, Iran has decided to give priority to those vessels that respond more quickly to the new Strait of Hormuz protocols and pay the costs of security and safety services,” the official said, adding that vessels that do not pay will have their passage “postponed”. Iran on Saturday reimposed restrictions on ship movements through the strait, citing "repeated breaches of trust" by the United States in the ceasefire.
MANAMA, 19th April, 2026 (WAM) -- The Kingdom of Bahrain has welcomed the decision of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) condemning Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, its threats to shipping, and its attacks on member states of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Washington reportedly aims to ramp up pressure on Tehran beyond the naval blockade to force it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and abandon its nuclear program The US military is preparing to track, intercept, and board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships tied to Tehran in international waters worldwide, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing sources.
Washington reportedly aims to ramp up pressure on Tehran beyond the naval blockade to force it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and abandon its nuclear program The US military is preparing to track, intercept, and board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships tied to Tehran in international
Tehran [Iran], April 19 (ANI): Iran will prioritise vessels that agree to pay fees for crossing the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian official told CNN on Saturday, amid new restrictions imposed by Tehran on maritime traffic through the vital shipping lane, CNN reported.
Washington DC [US], April 18 (ANI): Hours after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in less than 24 hours of opening it, US President Donald Trump has issued a sharp warning to Tehran, asserting that the Islamic Republic has been significantly weakened and is no longer in a position to 'blackmail' the America by shutting the waterway. 'They (Iran) have no navy, no air force. They have no leaders; they have nothing.
One hundred days after thousands of protesters were massacred on January 8 and 9, Iran's already fragile economy has sharply deteriorated, with millions feared to be unemployed as a devastating war compounds the crisis and accelerates economic collapse.
The Islamic Republic once again shut the strategic waterway due to what it described as US piracy Iran said the renewed restrictions on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz are justified under international law and necessary to counter hostile actions, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei has said in an interview with RT.
SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR: A sharp rise in raw material costs, triggered by the war in Iran, is pushing up global rubber glove prices and heightening the risk of supply disruptions for hospitals, with manufacturers warning that shortages could emerge within weeks. Glove makers have increased prices significantly as supply chains for key petrochemical inputs tighten.
Iran signals re-closure of Hormuz as it rejects uranium transfer abroad Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 04/18/2026 - 10:52 Tehran denies Trump claim that 'nuclear dust' would be retrieved, as ships cross waterway before Iran threatens to close it over US naval blockade People walk near an anti-US billboard on a building in Tehran, Iran, on 16 April 2026 (Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani) Off Iran has denied US claims that it agreed to transfer its enriched uranium abroad and threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz again if Washington’s naval blockade is not lifted, as a handful of vessels began transiting the strategic waterway on Saturday. On Friday, President Donald Trump said the US would maintain a naval blockade on Iranian ports, imposed earlier this week, until a final agreement between the two countries is reached. The blockade was imposed in response to Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran ended on Thursday following a US-brokered 10-day ceasefire to halt Israel’s war in Lebanon.
Analysts said energy and shipping companies would be reluctant to fully restore operations until they were confident that hostilities were over.
Iran has specified three conditions for the vessels' passage: the vessels must be commercial and not military, unaffiliated with hostile countries, and follow Iran-determined routes with prior coordination with Iranian authorities, according to the source.
Gas carriers, chemical tankers among vessel convoy crossing Hormuz A convoy of tankers was seen departing the Gulf and transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to vessel-tracking data. The group included four liquefied petroleum gas carriers along with several oil product and chemical tankers, data from MarineTraffic showed. Additional tankers were reported to be following from the Arabian Gulf area, as movement of commercial vessels continued through the key shipping route.
US extends waiver for sanctioned Russian oil purchase as global prices fall The US Department of the Treasury issued a waiver allowing the delivery and sale of sanctioned Russian crude as the administration seeks to ease prices during the war involving Iran, CNN reported. The licence applies to Russian crude and petroleum products loaded on vessels as of 17 April and authorises shipments through 16 May, after a previous waiver expired on 11 April. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had earlier said the administration would not renew the licence.
