Strait of Hormuz

March 23, 2026 9:48 AM

Markets open lower; Sensex, Nifty decline amid geopolitical tensions, global sell-off

The domestic equity markets started the week on a weak note on Monday, witnessing heavy selling pressure as investors shifted towards safer assets amid rising geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran. The market sentiment turned cautious after US President Donald Trump issued a stern 48-hour ultimatum to Tehran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, triggering fears of an intensified conflict in the coming days. Reflecting the nervousness, the Nifty 50 index opened at 22,824.3...

March 23, 2026 10:02 AM

Iran threatens to retaliate against Gulf energy and water after Trump ultimatum

Iran warned it would strike energy and water infrastructure across the Gulf if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to attack its electricity grid, raising fears of mass disruption in a region heavily dependent on desalination for drinking water. Trump set a Monday deadline of around 7:45 p.m, warning late on Saturday that the United States would strike Iran’s power plants unless Tehran fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. The prospect of tit-for-tat stri...

March 23, 2026 9:48 AM

Iran says Hormuz open to all but ‘enemy-linked’ ships

The Strait of Hormuz remains open to all shipping except vessels linked to "Iran's enemies", Iran's representative to the U.N. maritime agency was quoted as saying in Iranian media reports published on Sunday. The threat of Iranian attacks during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has kept most ships from getting through the narrow strait, the conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, threatening a global energy shock. Ali Mousavi said Tehran was ready to cooperate...

March 22, 2026 7:00 PM

Japan signals possible minesweeping role in hormuz after ceasefire

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has indicated that Tokyo may consider deploying its Self-Defence Forces for minesweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz, but only if a ceasefire is reached in the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Speaking on a television programme, Motegi said, “Japan’s minesweeping technology is at the top level in the world,” adding, “Let’s say a ceasefire is in place, and if mines become an obstacle, we may have to think...

March 20, 2026 12:49 PM

US and Israeli war aims in Iran are not the same, US spy chief says

American and Israeli objectives for the war on Iran are not the same, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Thursday, with Israel focused on disabling Iran's leadership and U.S. President Donald Trump focused on destroying Iran's ballistic missile program and navy. "The objectives that have been laid out by the president are different from the objectives that have been laid out by the Israeli government," Gabbard told the House intelligence committee's annual hearing on w...

March 20, 2026 11:56 AM

Global oil prices fall up to 3% as US signals possible easing of Iran sanctions

Global oil prices declined on Friday after the United States signalled a potential easing of sanctions on Iranian crude, amid efforts to stabilise supplies and ensure smooth shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent Crude futures fell as much as 3.39 per cent to an intra-day low of $104.96 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined 3.22 per cent to $92.47, also touching an intra-day low. The drop in oil prices followed remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who ...

March 20, 2026 10:28 AM

EU leaders call for moratorium on strikes against energy and water facilities in Middle East

European Union leaders called on Thursday for a moratorium on military strikes on energy and water facilities in the Middle East, amid growing concerns about the impact of the Iran war on the global economy. "The European Council calls for de-escalation and maximum restraint, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and full respect of international law by all parties," the leaders of the EU's 27 countries said in written conclusions of a summit in Brussels. "In this regard, it ...

March 20, 2026 10:17 AM

Trump calls for Japan, NATO to ‘step up’ on Iran as oil prices bite

President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to "step up" as he pressed allies for more support over the war with Iran and rising oil prices, while defending the secrecy of the campaign by invoking Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Trump, who greeted Takaichi with hugs at the White House, heaped praise on the leader of Washington's closest ally in East Asia during an Oval Office meeting where the expected topics of discussion included tense relations ...

March 20, 2026 10:15 AM

Netanyahu wants oil, gas to flow through Israel post-Iran war

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he believes pipelines should be built to transport Middle East oil and gas across the Arabian Peninsula and up to Israeli ports to avoid threats by Iran in the Hormuz Strait and other Gulf waters. A day after Israel attacked Iran's main gas field in a sharp escalation of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Netanyahu told a press conference that Tehran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium, a claim that has been contested by the U.N.'s nuclear ...

March 20, 2026 10:12 AM

US may remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded in tankers, Bessent says

The U.S. may soon remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded on tankers at sea, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday as Washington seeks to curb prices soaring over Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. "In the coming days, we may unsanction the Iranian oil that's on the water. It's about 140 million barrels," Bessent told Fox Business Network's "Mornings with Maria" program. He said the release of the sanctioned Iranian oil into global supplies would help keep oil prices down for...