Calculations made by Andromeda showed the 4kg of explosives recovered by Serbia's military security agency could not have seriously ruptured the pipe. Four kilograms is not sufficient to put the gas pipeline to a standstill.
A 'workable system' of transit and shipowner confidence in the security of the transiting vessels is essential. This includes availability of insurance for transiting vessels, facilitating commercial trade financing, and sustained outbound vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz.
Shipping costs have increased by more than 10 percent in the past month due to the US-Israel war on Iran. The 60-day waiver for the Jones Act aimed to lower energy costs but has had little impact on oil prices, which continue to rise amid the ongoing conflict.
A Treasury Department general license will allow the sale of about 128 million barrels of Russian oil already loaded onto tankers previously sanctioned by Washington. The authorization lasts 30 days. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move would let countries buy Russian oil "currently stranded at sea" to expand global supply.
We are seeing a significant increase in demand for Russian energy resources in connection with the war in Iran. Russia has been and remains a reliable supplier of both oil and gas including pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas, and it also remains capable of guaranteeing the continuity of all deliveries for which contracts have been concluded.
Major indices, including the Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500, and Dow Jones Industrial Average, all recorded gains, with the Nasdaq delivering its strongest weekly performance since November.
After 40 days of fighting, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with negotiations expected to begin in Islamabad. One key point in Iran's proposal is allowing shipping to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed since the war began, causing global oil prices to soar.
The fire at Primorsk is a significant blow to Russia's oil export capacity. Even a brief shutdown could create significant ripple effects throughout the global energy markets, introducing increased volatility and uncertainty that could affect consumers and businesses alike.
"agreement is a long-overdue step toward dismantling one of the Kremlin's most powerful economic weapons. Every cubic meter of Russian gas kept flowing into Europe has helped finance the missiles that strike Ukrainian cities. This Regulation, if implemented without loopholes, brings Europe closer to honouring its promise to end this deadly dependency."
When markets panic, authoritarian exporters cash in. In less than two weeks, Russia has earned an estimated 6bn from fossil fuel exports, money that ultimately feeds the Kremlin's war machine. Easing sanctions now would not stabilise markets. What it would do is allow Russia to sell the same oil for a far better price.
The war in the Middle East is exposing how dependent the world is on a handful of strategic chokepoints. The Strait of Hormuz a narrow waterway in the Gulf is closed. The longer this goes on, the faster the global energy map could be reshaped.