The American Times News | Economy, Geopolitics, Calculators

Iran's oil exports are under growing pressure as a U.S. naval blockade targeting Iran-related shipping continues to restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran disputes Washington's authority over the waterway and recent attacks on commercial vessels have triggered fresh investigations. The confrontation has created a difficult combination of economic pressure, maritime insecurity and competing claims over sovereignty and freedom of navigation. Reuters reported that Iranian crude loadings fell from roughly 2 million barrels per day in March to about 220,000–255,000 barrels per day in August as the U.S. blockade disrupted tanker movements and access to the country's principal export route. Iran's remaining sales have increasingly depended on offshore storage and a smaller number of tankers able to navigate the disrupted maritime environment.  What This Means for Americans: Gas, Inflation, and Naval Costs When Iranian oil loadings fall from 2 million barre...

The U.S.-Iran confrontation has entered a more dangerous economic phase just as President Donald Trump is unveiling a far-reaching oil agreement with Venezuela, creating two separate but increasingly connected strategic shocks for global energy markets. On August 31, U.S. forces struck Iranian military positions on Larak Island, according to Washington, after accusing Iran of attempting to lay mines near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then launched missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan, marking the first direct exchange of attacks between the two sides in about a month. President Trump subsequently warned that the United States would respond forcefully if Iran continued attacking American interests. (Reuters) At almost the same time, the White House released detailed terms of a major Venezuela oil agreement that it says gives the United States significant control and purchasing rights connected to more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan proven reserves. The administration says the arrang...