Newsletter Subscribe
Enter your email address below and subscribe to our newsletter
[forminator_form id="25163"]
All voices matter
sanctions
U.S. blockade halts Iran crude exports for record 7 weeks
For the first time on record, Iran has gone approximately seven weeks without shipping meaningful crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz, as a U.S. naval blockade achieves what years of sanctions could not: cutting off Tehran's primary source of…
Bessent tells Russia no relief until Ukraine war ends
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov on Monday that no economic relief for Russia or agreements on other issues were possible until Moscow's war in Ukraine ends, according to a source familiar with the bilateral…
Taliban offers US access to Afghanistan’s mineral wealth
Afghanistan's Taliban government is offering American companies access to the country's mineral resources in a bid to draw the Trump administration into economic engagement, seeking sanctions relief and the release of billions of dollars in frozen central-bank assets.
UAE orders urgent probe of Banque Misr after US dollar access threat
The U.S. Treasury Department moved on Friday to sever Egypt's Banque Misr's UAE branches from the American financial system, targeting what it called a "critical node" for Iran's access to U.S. dollars as Washington escalates its economic pressure campaign six…
Iran’s Araghchi floats diplomacy as Trump rejects June deal
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that resuming diplomacy with the United States "isn't impossible," but conditioned progress on Washington abandoning its economic pressure campaign — a demand that appears to have no audience in the Trump administration, which…
Pakistan says it won’t comply with US sanctions on Iran
Pakistan declared on Thursday that it does not consider itself bound by US unilateral sanctions on Iran, joining China in openly defying Washington's campaign to economically isolate Tehran. The rejections from two of Iran's key partners deal a blow to…
Oil heads for weekly loss as Trump spurns Iran deal
Oil prices fell on Friday and were on track to snap a two-week winning streak, as easing geopolitical risk premiums and a stalled diplomatic process between the United States and Iran weighed on the market.
Russia, Pakistan push back on US Iran sanctions campaign
The Trump administration this week launched an expansive economic pressure campaign against Iran, drawing swift condemnation from Tehran and resistance from several of its trading partners, while Pakistan moved to clarify remarks that had been interpreted as a direct rebuke…
Four EU states urge Brussels to unlock frozen Russian assets for Ukraine
Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland are jointly urging the European Commission to restart work on using more than €200 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets to fund Ukraine, according to a report by the Financial Times published on…
Visa, Mastercard complete first international card payments in Syria
Visa and Mastercard each completed landmark first live international payment transactions in Syria on Wednesday, marking the country's most concrete step yet toward full reintegration into the global financial system — just days after the United States formally removed Syria…
DOJ moves to revive Civil War-era courts to seize Iranian oil
The Justice Department is preparing to activate a long-dormant maritime war court system to streamline the military capture of Iranian oil tankers as U.S. property, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, marking the first potential use of prize courts since World War…
US allies doubt Trump’s claim that Hormuz mines have been cleared
US allies are privately warning that the Strait of Hormuz likely remains mined despite President Donald Trump's assertion on Tuesday that the US Navy has removed all Iranian explosives from the waterway, according to Bloomberg. The skepticism emerged as Iran…
Oil drops to one-week lows as Iran-Oman Hormuz talks gain traction
Oil prices fell sharply on Tuesday, August 25, with both major benchmarks settling at their lowest levels in over a week, as diplomatic signals between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz overshadowed a new U.S. sanctions campaign against…
US offers Iran sanctions relief to reopen Strait of Hormuz
The United States has offered Iran sanctions relief and an end to its naval blockade in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report from Saudi state-owned Al Hadath on Tuesday. The proposal was delivered to Tehran…
China vows to fight back after US sanctions Chinese entities over Iran ties
Beijing pushed back forcefully on Tuesday against the Trump administration's latest sanctions targeting Chinese entities over their dealings with Iran, warning that China will "adopt all necessary measures" to protect its interests and accusing Washington of destabilizing the global financial…
Brent crude drops sharply as U.S. plans to return diplomats to Middle East
Brent crude futures fell more than 3% on Tuesday to around $87–$89 a barrel, their lowest level since August 13, after The New York Times reported that the U.S. State Department plans to return evacuated diplomats to Middle Eastern posts…
WTI crude slips toward $85 as new Iran sanctions fall short of expectations
West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell more than 2% on Monday, snapping a six-session winning streak as traders locked in gains following the prior week's rally of more than 5%. The contract settled in the $85 range after trading as…
Markets steady as U.S. Iran sanctions fall short of penalties
Global share and bond markets regained calm on Tuesday after the U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions announcement against Iran fell short of imposing immediate penalties, easing fears of an abrupt disruption to energy supplies and global trade. Attention now turns to…
Oil drops as Bessent unveils expanded Iran sanctions
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday unveiled an expansion of secondary sanctions targeting entities and countries that maintain business ties with Iran, a move he had previewed days earlier as "the toughest sanctions in history." The announcement came nearly six…
US unveils ‘economic D-Day’ sanctions against Iran
The United States is set to unveil what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called "the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary" on Monday, escalating Washington's economic campaign against Iran as the two sides' 60-day ceasefire window closed without…
Iran threatens fines, detention for ships violating Hormuz transit rules
Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority has threatened vessels that violate its transit rules in the Strait of Hormuz with fines, detention, or confiscation, escalating Tehran's efforts to assert control over one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints as a…
Oil falls as Strait of Hormuz traffic recovers amid Iran standoff
Crude oil prices declined on Monday as traders weighed Washington's escalating economic pressure campaign against Iran, with markets looking ahead to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's expected announcement of new sanctions details.
Syria set to leave U.S. terrorism sponsor list after 47 years
The United States is set to formally remove Syria from its State Sponsors of Terrorism list after nearly 47 years, following the expiration on Saturday of a mandatory 45-day congressional review period without action to block the move. The final…
Iran finalizes trade deal with Oman as US ramps up sanctions pressure
Iran has finalized a preferential trade agreement with Oman and submitted it to parliament for approval, a senior trade official announced Friday, as Tehran seeks to deepen regional economic ties days after President Donald Trump declared an "economic D-Day" against…
Cuba says US sanctions undercut the economic reforms Washington long demanded
Cuba's ambassador to the United Nations has challenged the United States to explain why it continues to escalate sanctions against the island even as Havana implements the kind of sweeping economic reforms Washington has long demanded. Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán,…
Iran’s Pezeshkian calls for end to US war from ‘position of strength’
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Friday it was time to end the months-long war with the United States, asserting that Tehran holds the upper hand nearly six months into the conflict that has roiled the Middle East and disrupted global…
Oil posts second weekly gain as U.S.-Iran standoff deepens
Crude oil prices surged to their highest levels since late July this week before easing slightly on Friday, as President Donald Trump threatened "crushing economic warfare" against Iran and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced plans to impose what he called…
Qatar, Oman lead push to reopen Strait of Hormuz as Iran confirms zero oil exports
Iran's central bank governor acknowledged on Wednesday that the country's oil exports have dropped to zero amid the ongoing war and U.S. sanctions, as Gulf states launched a diplomatic push to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and oil…
Trump shifts to long-term economic pressure on Iran after talks collapse
The Trump administration has abandoned its pursuit of a rapid diplomatic breakthrough with Iran and pivoted toward a long-term campaign of economic and military pressure, after the 60-day window established by the June memorandum of understanding expired without a final…
Germany condemns Ben-Gvir, drops opposition to EU sanctions
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday condemned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's call for nightly killings in Gaza as "inhumane" and in violation of international law, as Berlin signaled a shift in its stance on EU sanctions against the…