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Oil prices ease to $103 as Iraq seeks Iran's permission for tankers to pass through Hormuz

bne IntelliNews March 17, 2026

Oil eases to $103 a barrel as Iraq says it is in talks with Iran to allow some tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel says strike targeted Iran's Larijani and his son in Tehran safe house

bne IntelliNews March 17, 2026

Israel says an overnight airstrike targeted Iran's security chief Ali Larijani and his son in a Tehran safe house, in what would be the most significant assassination since the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei.

Helium shortage threatens semiconductor industry

Ben Aris in Berlin March 17, 2026

Qatar’s gas disruption is tightening the supply of helium, a natural gas byproduct that is crucial for semiconductor manufacturing and medical imaging, rapidly pushing up prices.

Iran holds public funeral for 84 crew killed in destroyer Dena sinking

bnm Gulf bureau March 17, 2026

Tehran holds a citywide farewell for 84 sailors killed aboard destroyer Dena as Israel claims it killed Iran's security chief Ali Larijani and the Basij commander in overnight strikes on the capital.

Overnight strikes hit Tehran and Kermanshah as Iranian missiles and drones target Dubai

bnm Gulf bureau March 17, 2026

US and Israeli forces launched a fresh wave of strikes across Tehran, the Alborz province and Kermanshah in the early hours of March 17 allegedly killing key military figures.

Which straits will close next?

Ben Aris in Berlin March 17, 2026

The International Energy markets are in chaos following the closure of Hormuz, however reports have emerged that houthi rebels in Yemen are demanding bribes from tankers passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the bottom of the Red Sea.

COMMENT: Escalating Middle East conflict raises risks of renewed European energy shock

bne IntelliNews March 17, 2026

After US President Donald Trump failed to deliver on his promise of a quick end to the conflict in Iran, the chances of a renewed European energy shock are rising quickly, says Oxford Economics.

COMMENT: Iran war brings Ukraine’s peace talks to a halt

Ben Aris in Berlin March 17, 2026

The trump administration and Donald Trump personally have completely lost the ability to mediate negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, says The Bell in a commentary.

Russia accuses US and Israel of unleashing unprecedented violence in Middle East

bne IntelliNews March 16, 2026

Russia's foreign ministry accuses the US and Israel of unleashing unprecedented violence in the Middle East and calls on all sides to halt hostilities as Hormuz shipping remains paralysed.

Iran targets US businesses in the Gulf

Ben Aris in Berlin March 16, 2026

The IRGC announced an attack on an American financial institution in the Middle East over the weekend in retaliation for a hit on an Iranian bank in Tehran last week and warned all US businesses could become legitimate targets.

Discounts on Russia’s Urals blend oil fall to zero

bne IntelliNews March 16, 2026

Russia is poised to reap a major financial windfall from rising global oil prices due to the war in the Gulf, after the discounts on the Urals blend of oil fell to zero in the last week

The Iranian revolution has been reversed

Ben Aris in Berlin March 16, 2026

In the first video US President Donald Trump released following the start of operation epic fury he calls on the Iranian people to rise up in what he called a “once in a generation opportunity” to take back control of their own country.

Trump calls on allies to send naval support to the Gulf

Ben Aris in Berlin March 16, 2026

US President Donald Trump has demanded NATO allies and China send their warships to aid the US in reopening the Straits of Hormuz. Most have refused.

Warning of potential nuclear risk in Iran echoes Putin’s Ukraine war rhetoric

bne IntelliNews March 16, 2026

A senior adviser to US President Donald Trump has warned that escalating conflict between Israel and Iran could lead to “truly catastrophic” nuclear weapons use.

Trump losing his patience with Zelenskiy

Ben Aris in Berlin March 16, 2026

US President Donald Trump is losing his patience with Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reached out to the White House last week calling for supplies and criticised the White House decision to temporarily ease sanctions on Russia.

IEA releases details of historic oil reserves release member shares

Ben Aris in Berlin March 16, 2026

The International Energy Agency released details of the contribution by members to the “largest release of oil reserves in history” that it announced on March 11 to calm the oil market and bring down prices.

Satellites show extent of Iranian precision strikes

Ben Aris in Berlin March 16, 2026

The Trump administration restricted access to real time commercial satellite images of the Middle East after images showed the effectiveness and extent of the damage Iranian powerful precision missile strikes have done to key US assets.

Israel planning to invade southern Lebanon

bne IntelliNews March 15, 2026

Israel is preparing plans for a large-scale ground offensive into southern Lebanon aimed at pushing the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah away from the border and dismantling its military infrastructure, according to US and Israeli officials.

Hamas urges Iran not to target Gulf states amid widening regional war

bne IntelliNews March 15, 2026

Hamas has called on Iran to refrain from attacking neighbouring countries, in a rare public appeal that highlights emerging strains within Tehran’s regional alliance network as conflict spreads across the Middle East.

COMMENT: whoever wins control of the Straits of Hormuz will control half of China's oil flow

bne IntelliNews March 15, 2026

A battle is looming for control of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever controls the narrow passage between Iran and Oman effectively holds a lever over a large share of global energy flows.

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