Iran’s Guards Seize Wartime Power, Blunting Supreme Leader’s Role
FILE PHOTO: Members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards participate in a military parade to commemorate the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, in Tehran September 21, 2008. REUTERS/Caren Firouz (IRAN)/File Photo
Iran’s Guards Seize Wartime Power, Blunting Supreme Leader’s Role
Reuters
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April 28, 2026
DUBAI, April 28 (Reuters) – Two months into a
war
with the U.S. and Israel, Iran no longer has a single, undisputed clerical arbiter at the pinnacle of power — an abrupt break with the past that may be hardening Tehran’s stance as it weighs renewed talks with Washington.
Since its creation in 1979, the Islamic Republic has revolved around a supreme leader with final authority on all key matters of state.
UAE Quits OPEC in Major Blow to Global Oil Producers’ Group
The logo of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is seen inside its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, December 7, 2018. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
UAE Quits OPEC in Major Blow to Global Oil Producers’ Group
Reuters
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April 28, 2026
By Maha El Dahan
DUBAI, April 28 (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it was quitting OPEC, dealing a heavy blow to the oil producers’ group as an unprecedented energy crisis triggered by the
Iran war
exposes discord among Gulf nations.
The loss of the UAE, a longstanding OPEC member, could weaken the group, which has usually sought to show a united front despite internal disagreements over geopolitics and production quotas.
UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei told Reuters the decision was taken after a careful look at the regional power’s energy strategies.
Asked whether the UAE consulted with OPEC’s de facto leader and regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, he said the UAE did not raise the issue with
Reliability You Can See: Why Ocean Freight Decisions Fail Without Performance Intelligence
Reliability You Can See: Why Ocean Freight Decisions Fail Without Performance Intelligence
in
International Shipping News
27/04/2026
Most ocean freight decisions still look robust at the moment they are made. Procurement teams benchmark rates, compare carrier offers, and award contracts based on a mix of price and service promises. But when the market moves, as it so often does, Logistics and Operations are left inheriting the mess.
Indonesia’s toll remarks for Malacca Strait draws attention to choke point risks
Indonesia’s toll remarks for Malacca Strait draws attention to choke point risks
in
International Shipping News
27/04/2026
Indonesia’s Finance Minister has floated the idea of imposing a levy on ships transiting the Strait of Malacca, following Singapore Deputy Prime Minister’s statement on ships’ unconditional transit rights through international straits April 21.
Finance Minister Purbaya Sadewa said April 22 at a symposium in Jakarta: “As the President said, Indonesia is not a peripheral country. We are on a strategic global trade and energy route. Yet ships passing through our straits are not charged.
Strait of Hormuz deadlock deepens as U.S. blockade halts shipping
Strait of Hormuz deadlock deepens as U.S. blockade halts shipping
in
International Shipping News
27/04/2026
The crisis at the Strait of Hormuz has entered a perilous new phase, with daily commercial transits plummeting to near zero as a direct result of the intensifying standoff between Washington and Tehran.
What began as a strategic bid by President Trump to exert pressure on Iran via a naval blockade has instead transformed into a total maritime shutdown, leaving global energy supply chains paralyzed.
Shipping executives now warn that even if a diplomatic breakthrough occurs, the logistical path toward a return to normal operations is likely months away, cementing the Strait as the primary flashpoint of the eight-week conflict.
An expanding theater of risk
The imposition of the U.S. blockade has fundamentally altered the geography of the conflict, pushing the theater of operation far beyond the Persian Gulf.
By interdicting Iran-linked vessels in international waters, the U.S.
Shipping Traffic Through Hormuz Remains Muted With No US-Iran Deal in Sight, Data Shows
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, April 27, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Shipping Traffic Through Hormuz Remains Muted With No US-Iran Deal in Sight, Data Shows
Reuters
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April 27, 2026
LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) – At least seven ships – mainly dry bulk vessels – have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, in line with muted activity in recent days, shipping data showed on Monday, while
talks
between Iran and the United States have stalled.
The vessels included ships leaving from Iraqi ports and one dry bulk vessel from an Iranian port, according to ship tracking data from Kpler and separate satellite analysis from data analytics specialists SynMax.
Shipping traffic passing through the crucial ?waterway at the entrance to the Gulf during an
uneasy ceasefire
between Washington and Tehran represents a fraction of the average 140 daily passages before
the Iran war
began on February 28.
The U.S. Central Command has redirected 37 v
Iran-Linked Oil Tankers Sail West After Boarding by US
forces board the stateless tanker Tifani (IMO: 9273337) without incident inside the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. Photo from Department of War video
Iran-Linked Oil Tankers Sail West After Boarding by US
Bloomberg
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April 27, 2026
By Julian Lee
Apr 27, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Two Iran-linked oil tankers that US forces interdicted near Sri Lanka last week are now sailing west.
US forces carried out “maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding” of two oil supertankers, the
Tifani
and the
Phonix
on April 21 and 23 respectively, the Pentagon said last week, without elaborating what would happen next to the vessels.
Twin Hijackings Off Somalia Signal Dangerous Escalation in Pirate Resurgence
The Iranian-flagged dhow ALWASEEMI, pictured by EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta
Twin Hijackings Off Somalia Signal Dangerous Escalation in Pirate Resurgence
Mike Schuler
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April 27, 2026
Fresh concerns over a widening resurgence in Somali piracy intensified over the weekend after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported two apparent vessel hijackings off Somalia within hours of each other, in what could mark a troubling shift from opportunistic attacks to successful seizures of commercial ships.
The incidents come just weeks after European naval forces disrupted the hijacking of the Iranian fishing dhow
ALWASEEMI
, which pirates had sought to use as a mothership for attacks on merchant shipping—an episode already viewed as a warning sign that pirate action groups were probing for openings in the western Indian Ocean.
According to
UKMTO Warning 046-26
, unauthorized persons took control of a cargo vessel about six nautical miles northeast of Garacad on April 26 and
Dual Hormuz Blockade Cuts Ship Transits to Near Zero
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, April 27, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Dual Hormuz Blockade Cuts Ship Transits to Near Zero
Bloomberg
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April 27, 2026
By Prejula Prem and Julian Lee (Bloomberg) — The
Strait of Hormuz
remains effectively shut to international shipping as the double blow of Iranian and US blockades leaves the key energy corridor largely dormant.
A tiny trickle of vessels, most with links to Iran, was observed in recent days. Traffic is generally steering clear after tensions in the waterway escalated last week as Iranian gunboats fired on ships, while US forces seized two oil tankers.
Three Iran-linked ships exited the Persian Gulf through the strait on Monday morning, vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Oil Prices Hit Two-week High as Iran Talks Stall and Strait Shipments Lag
Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 7, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Oil Prices Hit Two-week High as Iran Talks Stall and Strait Shipments Lag
Reuters
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April 27, 2026
NEW YORK, April 27 (Reuters) – Oil prices climbed about 2% to a two-week high on Monday as peace talks between the U.S. and Iran stalled and shipments through the
Strait of Hormuz
remained limited, keeping global oil supplies tight.
Brent futures LCOc1 rose $2.16, or 2.1%, to $107.49 a barrel at 10:01 a.m.