Oman
Confusion reigns as America’s Operation Project Freedom attempts to escort tankers through Hormuz
Confusion reigned after Iran claimed it had hit two US warships attempting to escort US-flagged tankers through the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, while the US said two US tankers had made the passage.
COMMENT: Gulf economies face uneven shocks to their external position as war disrupts trade flows
The impact of the war on Gulf economies’ external positions is diverging sharply, with some states facing severe current account deterioration while others benefit from higher energy prices Capital Economics said in a note.
Where food accounts for a large slice of imports - Statista
Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and supply chain disruptions caused by the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, concerns over global food security have intensified, Statista reports.
The Strait of Hormuz is also a digital chokepoint
The IRGC closed the Strait of Hormuz on March 2, choking off a fifth of the world’s oil supplies and causing the “worst oil crisis in history.” However, the IRGC has another card to play: cut the internet cables that run through the Strait.
How China captured the Gulf while Washington forgot to send an ambassador
Beijing now trades nearly $400bn a year with the Middle East, runs the region's largest infrastructure programmes, and brokers its diplomacy. America still sells the weapons. It is not enough
How Tehran systematically dismantled America's Gulf military network in the first days of the war- NBC
When US and Israeli forces launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, striking Iran's nuclear sites, missile factories and military infrastructure, the Trump administration was expecting a walk in the park. It wasn't.
Iran's oil sector fails to "explode" as Trump's shut-in deadline passes
The US blockade of tankers serving Iran’s oil exports is intended to cut Iranian oil exports to near-zero and force its production to stop as storage tanks fill, forcing Tehran to return to the negotiation table. The plan hasn't worked.
COMMENT: Russia’s Iran gamble risks sacrificing Gulf strategy for tactical gains
Russia’s deepening entanglement in the crisis around Iran is delivering short-term geopolitical dividends, but at a potentially high strategic cost.
Gulf oil output could recover within months of Hormuz reopening, Goldman Sachs says
Gulf crude oil production could recover to close to pre-war levels within a few months of the Strait of Hormuz safely reopening, according to Goldman Sachs.
Iran war's fertiliser shock sets the stage for a slow-burning food inflation crisis
The Iran war's most insidious economic aftershock may not be measured in oil price spikes or shipping costs, but in the price of the nutrients that grow the world's food.
Trump's blockade of Hormuz fails as dozens of tankers pass through - FT
The Trump administration naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz failed after at least 34 tankers with links to Iran passed through the narrow waterway and exited the Persian Gulf in defiance of the US warships attempts to halt Iran’s oil exports.
COMMENT: Why China is hedging for now in the Middle East
As the US-Israel-Iran war enters its second month, one of the most consequential geopolitical actors has been conspicuous by its silence. China has not intervened, has not condemned, and has not chosen sides in any meaningful public way.
Middle Corridor in play
Squeezed by a sanctioned Russia to the north and a war prone Middle East to the south, the Middle Corridor that runs through Central Asia and the Caucasus is back in play as the main route connecting Europe to Asia by land.
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Iran MP plans for strategic management of Strait of Hormuz using the rial
Iran's parliamentary infrastructure commission chief has set out detailed terms for a strategic management plan for the Strait of Hormuz, including an Israeli shipping ban and tolls payable only in rials.
IMF: War Darkens Global Economic Outlook and Reshapes Policy Priorities
The Middle East conflict halted growth momentum. The right policies and stronger global cooperation are needed to contain the damage.
IMF: Middle East to see economic contractions in 2026 - Statista
Several Middle Eastern economies are expected to contract in 2026 in the wake of the war in Iran, which broke out in late February, according to the International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook, reports Statista.
IMF the first to improve Russia’s growth outlook on Iran war windfall
The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices.
Trump says China agreed to stop arming Iran in exchange for reopening of Strait of Hormuz
Trump claims China agreed to halt arms supplies to Iran in exchange for US efforts to permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with a Xi Jinping meeting planned in coming weeks.
World leaders head to Beijing, as China becomes geopolitical fulcrum
The Trump administration’s being ostracized by the international community for America’s war mongering. That is making China a fulcrum in the East-West clash that now has its centre of gravity in the Middle East.
IMF the first to improve Russia’s growth outlook on Iran war windfall
The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices.