Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade hits Iran’s oil trade
Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade hits Iran’s oil trade
in
International Shipping News
28/04/2026
A US naval blockade cuts off Iran’s main source of hard currency by halting most of its oil exports. Will President Trump’s pressure force Tehran back to negotiations or widen the conflict?
How will Trump’s blockade of Iranian oil work?
After US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan collapsed at the weekend, US President Donald Trump said the US Navy would block ships entering or leaving any Iranian port or coastal facility via the Strait of Hormuz.
Until the war began in late February, a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil trade passed Hormuz, the narrow stretch of water between the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
If successful, the blockade would sever Iran’s main source of revenue by halting its nearly 2 million barrel-per-day oil export trade, which Trump is betting will force Tehran back to the negotiating table.
US officials said the goal was to strip Iran of leverage gained from its control
LNG shipping stocks: Tired, but not beaten
LNG shipping stocks: Tired, but not beaten
in
International Shipping News
28/04/2026
The UP World LNG Shipping Index lost 4.75 points (2.15%) in Week 17–2026, closing at 215.86 points, while the S&P 500 gained 0.55%. The UPI has now declined for three consecutive weeks, though this does not signal the start of a bear market — the index is consolidating after its exceptional first-quarter run. Eight companies gained, eleven declined, and the median change was -0.33%.
Dire straits provide China’s shipbuilders great opportunities
Dire straits provide China’s shipbuilders great opportunities
in
Shipbuilding News
28/04/2026
Rising geopolitical tensions and growing energy security concerns are fueling a new wave of global demand for oil tankers, with Chinese shipbuilders primed and ready to fill orders.
Disruptions at key choke points such as the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping corridor in the Middle East, are pushing shipowners to expand their fleets and diversify transport routes.
Market watchers said shifting trade patterns are reshaping tanker demand, as changes in crude flows lengthen shipping routes even without a proportional increase in volumes.
Regulatory shifts and fleet renewal cycles are also adding to the need for new ships, with stricter environmental standards accelerating the replacement of aging vessels with more fuel-efficient ships, they said.
The multitude of factors are creating fresh market opportunities for Chinese shipbuilders given their strong delivery capacity, cost competitive
IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee convenes in London to discuss key ocean issues
IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee convenes in London to discuss key ocean issues
in
International Shipping News
28/04/2026
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez opened the 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84), urging Member States to find convergence and make meaningful progress on the IMO Net-Zero Framework to cut global shipping emissions, and set an example of effective multilateralism.
The meeting will cover a range of environmental issues, including actions to address:
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships
Energy efficiency of ships
Ballast water management & biofouling
Marine plastic litter
Underwater radiated noise
See the full transcript of the Secretary-General’s opening remarks below:
“Good morning, distinguished delegates,
Welcome to the 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee.
Situation in the Strait of Hormuz
Before turning to the work of this session, and further to my briefing to Member States
Idemitsu Maru Tanker Carrying Saudi Oil Seeks to Cross Strait of Hormuz
An aerial view shows an oil factory of Idemitsu Kosan Co. in Ichihara, east of Tokyo, Japan November 12, 2021, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Picture taken on November 12, 2021.
Trump Says Iran Wants Hormuz Open in Tussle Over War’s End
President Donald Trump gestures after delivering an address to the nation about the Iran war at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS
Trump Says Iran Wants Hormuz Open in Tussle Over War’s End
Bloomberg
Total Views: 0
April 28, 2026
By Arsalan Shahla and Eltaf Najafizada (Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump said Iran has asked the US to lift a naval blockade of the
Strait of Hormuz
while the two sides negotiate an end to the two-month
war
, which has upended global energy supplies.
Tehran wants the critical waterway for oil and gas shipments open “as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation,” Trump said on Truth Social on Tuesday. Iran has said it’s in a “State of Collapse,” he added.
The US leader on Monday convened his national security team to discuss an Iranian proposal to end the conflict, which began with US and Israeli airstrikes on the Islamic Republic on Feb.
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
Total Views: 0
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
Total Views: 4
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.