Oil and gas

Qatar's Energy Minister and CEO of QatarEnergy Saad Sherida al-Kaabi speaks during a press conference in Doha on June 22, 2026.

Explainer

Qatar blast underscores challenges in race to restart Gulf energy flows

The deadly explosion marks an early test of Gulf efforts to revive oil and gas production following a historic energy supply shock caused by the US-Israel-Iran war.

Handout Photo by the US Navy via Getty Images

Explainer

What’s the status of Strait of Hormuz after US-Iran talks?

Oil tankers continued to transit the strait in both directions, but many turned off their transponders over the weekend after Iran's military declared Hormuz closed once again.

MUSCAT, OMAN - JUNE 21: Oil tankers and cargo vessels remain anchored off Port Sultan Qaboos around Qaboos Port on June 21, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region's oil and gas, was effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February. This week's provisional peace deal between the countries was meant to reopen the waterway to shipping traffic, but the pace of that reopening is unclear amid continued fighting in Lebano

Oil falls more than 3% after Iran, US signal progress in talks

International benchmark Brent crude fell to $78.68 as of 7:06 a.m. EDT.

A general view shows the Awad oil field in the eastern Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, on Feb. 9, 2026.

Explainer

Oil’s slide wavers as Trump warns US-Iran deal ‘not final’

Brent crude prices briefly jumped back above $80 per barrel on Wednesday as traders digested conflicting signals about efforts to end the war and reopen Hormuz.

Latest News

3 Iranian tankers with 4.8M barrels of oil pass US blockade: What to know

Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Exclusive

US firm HKN Energy takes over 7 oil fields from Syria's Kurds

A general view shows the Awad oil field in the eastern Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, on February 9, 2026. (Photo by Amjad Kurdo / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Explainer

US strategic oil stockpile nears four-decade low as Iran war drags on

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Syria says Iraqi oil shipments surge as Damascus courts foreign energy investment

A long convoys of Iraqi diesel-laden tanker trucks line up along the highway Tartus-Baniyas highway as they wait to unload their cargo at the Baniyas port refinery on the Mediterranean Sea, on April 15, 2026.

A general view of Navigator Terminals, an oil storage depot along the River Thames, London, March 10, 2026.

Oil plunges 8% after Trump extends Iran ultimatum

In a Truth Social post, US President Trump said that Washington and Tehran “have had, over the last two days, very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.”

Indian vessel 'Nanda Devi' carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) arrives at Vadinar Port in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat state on March 17, 2026 after Iran allowed it to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy corridor that remains disrupted by the Middle East war.

Iran’s Hormuz choke hold leaves West divided as energy markets reel

Between March 1 and March 19, there were only 114 crossings of the strait, according to analytics firm Kpler — 95% less than prewar traffic.

A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an Iranian tanker docking at the platform of the oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf.

Why a Kharg Island blockade could be Iran’s greatest economic threat

The island is an energy hub that accounts for 90% of Iran's oil exports and is home to key Iranian military installations.

Excess gas is burned at the oil refinery in Israel's northern city of Haifa late on March 19, 2026.

Analysis

Iran expands energy targets beyond Gulf as Red Sea and East Med come into play

In retaliation for strikes on its energy sector, Tehran's campaign against regional oil and gas infrastructure has intensified and broadened to include Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port and an Israeli refinery in Haifa.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Uae

US fast-tracks $16.5B arms sales to UAE, Jordan, Kuwait amid Iran attacks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued emergency waivers to bypass the normal congressional review period for the sales, the administration said, as Iran signaled its ability to open a new front with strikes on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrives to attend an event in the East Room of the White House, Washington, DC, March 5, 2026.

US weighs easing Iran oil sanctions amid Hormuz crisis: What to know

A possible move by the Treasury would reduce pressure on Iranian crude as Washington seeks to offset supply losses tied to Iran's virtual closure of the strait.

A picture of Qatar Energy's operating facilities on March 3, 2026 in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.

Analysis

How Iran's strike on Qatar gas field could impact LNG market for years

Damage from an Iranian strike on the world's largest LNG export hub could take significant supply offline for years as Qatar considers whether to declare force majeure on long-term contracts supplying Europe and Asia.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

In this aerial view, Storage tanks at Grain LNG importation terminal, operated by National Grid Plc sit near the River Medway in the Thames Estuary on March 12, 2026, in Isle of Grain, England.

After 35% surge, how far could Gulf disruptions push European gas?

Benchmark European natural gas futures were up as much as 35% to above 68 euros ($78.09) per MWh on Thursday.

Lorries roll along the highway between Riyadh and al-Ahsa, some 200 kilometers east of the Saudi capital, on March 15, 2026. The war sparked by US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28 has sparked chaos on global markets, and sent the price of oil soaring after the Islamic republic imposed control by force over the crucial artery. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP via Getty Images) /

US tells citizens to leave Saudi Arabia as Iran strikes energy sites: What to know

The US Embassy in Riyadh urged its citizens to leave Saudi Arabia after a spike in Iranian attacks targeting energy facilities in the kingdom.

A view of the oil refinery on March 17, 2026 in Erbil, Iraq.

Exclusive

Iraqi oil flows to Turkey after US pledges role in Baghdad-Kurds customs dispute

A US-brokered breakthrough between Baghdad and Erbil has restarted Iraqi oil exports through Turkey after a weeklong standoff.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

A picture shows smoke billowing from the Central Production Facility 1 gas refinery in Iraq's southern Maysan province on May 29, 2022.

Exclusive

Dana Gas evacuates Khor Mor staff in Iraq's Kurdistan Region after Iran threats

Tehran has warned it will target Gulf oil and gas facilities following Israel's strike on South Pars.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Lin Jian

China to send aid to Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan as Trump delays Beijing summit

The aid announcement comes as President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his late March visit to China would be postponed.