@LCO26U
Tanker diplomacy: Trump faces tests from Havana to Hormuz
A man stands as a tugboat guides the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin at the oil terminal in the port of Matanzas, northwestern Cuba, on March 31, 2026. Yamil Lage | Afp | Getty Images Energy shipments are increasingly being used as foreign policy tool as the Trump administration attempts to hold down two blockades […]
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Asia markets open lower as fragile Middle East ceasefire tempers sentiment
Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets opened lower Friday, as cautious optimism over the Middle East conflict tempered sentiment, diverging from Wall Street’s record-setting rally. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said that the war in Iran “should be ending pretty soon,” reiterating rosy predictions about the end of the conflict. Hours earlier, […]
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Brent oil price near $100 again with U.S.-Iran talks uncertain and Hormuz still blocked
Crude oil prices neared $100 again on Thursday, as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains very low with no clear pathway to fully reopen the vital sea lane. International benchmark Brent for June delivery surged nearly 5% to close at $99.39 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate crude for May rose almost 4% to […]
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Don’t call time on dollar dominance just yet, say analysts as ‘petroyuan’ call sparks debate
Dieter SPannknebel | Getty Images The U.S. dollar suffered in 2025 as investors embraced the “Sell America” trade, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates, and the greenback was dealt a policy and fiscal credibility shock. The war in Iran has helped shore-up the dollar so far in 2026, but the future of the global reserve […]
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Iran war sparks ‘fundamental energy transition’ in Seoul toward renewables: Energy minister
This general view shows oil tanks and facilities at Yeosu National Industrial Complex, the largest petrochemical industrial complex in South Korea, in Yeosu on April 7, 2026. (Photo by Shin Yong-ju / AFP via Getty Images) Shin Yong-ju | Afp | Getty Images The Iran war is “serving as a significant turning point” for South […]
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China economic growth accelerates to 5% in first quarter, beating expectations, on robust exports
People walk outside a shopping mall during a week-long National Day holiday in Beijing on October 7, 2025. Greg Baker | Afp | Getty Images China’s economy gathered steam in the first quarter, as robust exports growth offset tepid domestic demand, though the Iran war-fueled energy shock clouds growth outlook, threatening global demand. Gross domestic […]
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Asia markets open higher after hopes of U.S.-Iran deal lift Wall Street benchmarks to new records
Asia markets opened higher after Wall Street hit record levels on growing expectations of a U.S.-Iran deal to end the war. Source
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A few tankers and ships are going through the Strait of Hormuz. Here’s the latest traffic
A view of a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz following the two-week temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran on the condition that the strait be reopened, seen in Oman on April 8, 2026. Shadi J. H. Alassar | Anadolu | Getty Images At least nine oil tankers have transited the Strait […]
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