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Iran begins charging vessels to transit Strait of Hormuz through IRGC-controlled 'safe corridor'
Iran begins charging up to $2mn per vessel for passage through a new IRGC-controlled "safe corridor" in the Strait of Hormuz, with India, China, Pakistan and Iraq among countries negotiating access.
TEHRAN BLOG: Iran's new year Nowruz is not the same this year
For more than 3,000 years, Nowruz has been Iran's national festival, but this year's war has darkened the mood.
Iran’s permits-for-passage through Hormuz system is developing fast
Iran has begun extracting payments of up to $2mn per tanker for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, as the informal permits-for-passage system allowing only tankers from “friendly countries” through develops quickly.
BEIRUTER: Lebanon’s Litani bridges at the centre of conflict with Israel
In a dangerous escalation in the current armed conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, the latter began targeted strikes on critical infrastructure, most notable bridges and routes in the south, drawing attention to Tel Aviv’s operational strategy.
ISTANBUL BLOG: Bedtime reading for Trump. Condemnation and denunciation from Arab and Islamic countries affirmed
US Commander-in-Chief, meanwhile, says he told Netanyahu “don’t do that”. But he did do that.
ING: Energy markets brace for a prolonged supply disruption
There are few signs of de-escalation or a resumption in energy flows from the Persian Gulf. The market is having to reprice the duration of ongoing supply disruptions. We have updated our scenarios for oil and gas markets.
EU freezes plans to adopt Russian twentieth sanctions package due to Iran war turmoil, growing internal divisions
The EU’s plans to adopt a twentieth sanctions package against Russia have been frozen due to a disruption caused by the war in Iran, according to a diplomatic source cited by TASS on March 16.
Quagmire in the Gulf: 13 points from when war games meets reality in US-Iran conflict
Three weeks into the war with Iran, the trajectory of the conflict is beginning to resemble some of the worst-case scenarios long modelled by policymakers and analysts, according to Ilan Goldenberg, a former US Department of Defence official.
Oman’s foreign minister tells the US some hard truths, because that’s what friends do
Oman has played a leading role in the mediation between the US and Iran trying to prevent the regional conflict that started two weeks ago. In a poignant opinion piece “America’s friends must help extricate it from an unlawful war."
IMO propose Hormuz shipping corridor to reopen Hormuz
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has proposed the creation of a “safe shipping corridor” in the Strait of Hormuz, as dozens of countries look for solutions to unblock the crucial shipping channel.
UAE expels 2,500 Iranian students and shuts Iranian state schools
The UAE expels 2,500 Iranian students and shuts Iranian schools with a 50-year history in the country, as the war deepens the rift between Tehran and Gulf states.
Iran Kharg Island oil exports continue at 1.4mn bpd, as US set to unfreeze sanctions on oil tankers
Iran's Kharg Island oil exports continue at up to 1.5mn bpd despite US strikes, with core loading infrastructure intact and shipments flowing to Asian buyers.
COMMENT: US ground invasion to take control of Hormuz is extremely risky
With some 5000 US military personnel on their way to the gulf analysts have been speculating that the White House is intending to try and take control of Strait of Hormuz with the ground invasion.
Dubai faces expat exodus as war shatters safe-haven reputation
Dubai faces its largest expat exodus in decades as the Iran war shatters its safe-haven reputation, with major banks evacuating staff, the stock market down 17% and the UAE mulling tax relief to retain residents.
Iran says Tehran will impose new Hormuz regime to 'sanction' the West after war
Senior Iranian official Mokhber says Tehran will impose a new regime on the Strait of Hormuz after the war, using the waterway to "sanction" the West rather than being sanctioned itself.
Gulf states are 'enemies' for Iran just like the US and Israel, Russian academic says
Persian Gulf states are as much Iran's enemies as the US and Israel because none condemned the strikes on Iranian territory, as Tehran escalates attacks on energy assets in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
How much damage has Iran done to Gulf oil and gas production?
Iran struck back, targeting major oil and gas production facilities in the Gulf, after Israel attacked Iran’s Asaluyeh gas processing facility in Bushehr province.
Strikes on Iran gas fields could force Turkey to ramp up LNG imports
Damage to Iran’s Asaluyeh gas processing facility in Bushehr province and part of the South Pars complex, after an Israeli missile strike on March 18, risks disrupting pipeline supplies to Turkey, potentially forcing Ankara to raise LNG imports.
Iran Bushehr nuclear plant missile strike risk raises fears of Gulf-wide water crisis
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officially confirmed that the Bushehr nuclear power plant (NPP) was included as a possible Israeli target, according to authorities in Tehran, threatening an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe.
Iran's Supreme Leader issues first public statement since appointment
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issues his first publicly attributed statement since taking office.