China: Iran exports 18 mln barrels of crude oil over past 5 days: TankerTrackers. Iran exported nearly 18 million barrels of crude oil, valued at roughly 1.44 billion U.S. dollars, over the past five days, maritime intelligence firm TankerTrackers said in a post on social media platform X on Friday. The surge in shipments came as Iran and the United States finalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was announced finalized on Monday and signed on Thursday, aimed at ending their conflict. Iran said on Friday that multiple Iranian oil tankers had transited through the Gulf of Oman and entered international waters over the past 24 hours, with more tankers expected to set sail in the coming days. According to the Iran-U.S. MoU published on Wednesday, the United States would immediately begin lifting its naval blockade on Iran. In return, Iran would make every effort to ensure the safe and toll-free transit of merchant vessels between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman for an initial 60-day window. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday that it has officially lifted its naval blockade on all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas. Also on Thursday, Iran's Supreme National Security Council announced that it will waive all transit fees for commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz for the next 60 days. On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States. The United States imposed its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, preventing ships traveling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway, after post-ceasefire negotiations with Iran in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on April 11 and 12 failed to lead to an agreement. Shotlist: Beijing, China - June 20, 2026: 1. Screenshot of TankerTrackers' post on X; FILE: Kharg Island, Iran - March 10, 2016 2. Various of petroleum production plants by coast; 3. Various of oil transport platform at dock; Khasab, Oman - June 18, 2026 4. Various of vessels in Strait of Hormuz; FILE: Tehran, Iran - Date Unknown 5. National flag of Iran, city view; Tehran, Iran - June 6, 2026 6. Various of Iranian national flags, traffic; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - March 2026 7. White House, U.S. national flag; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Date Unknown 8. … More stories from StringersHub Join the flipboard community Discover, collect, and share stories for all your interestsSign up More stories from China The Mystery of China’s Oil Demand Drop Is No Mystery It’s the biggest conundrum in the world economy right now: How has China managed to go on an oil detox? As my colleague Javier Blas has written, its sharply declining appetite for petroleum is probably the single biggest factor that has kept the crude market balanced since the Strait of Hormuz … How China’s Navy Is Tightening the Noose on Taiwan Late last month, Chinese navy ships, including large guided-missile destroyers, were positioned all around Taiwan. The map below shows their approximate positions, which were shared with The Wall Street Journal by security officials in the region. This wasn’t a military drill intended to show force. … Chinese Satellite Engine Costs Plummet, Boosting Commercial Space Sector China's commercial space industry is achieving new milestones as domestically developed satellite propulsion systems see dramatic cost reductions, …
China: Iran exports 18 mln barrels of crude oil over past 5 days: TankerTrackers. Iran exported nearly 18 million barrels of crude oil, valued at roughly 1.44 billion U.S. dollars, over the past five days, maritime intelligence firm TankerTrackers said in a post on social media p…
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.