Iran has shown it can disrupt regional energy flows. What remains far less clear is whether it can use that leverage to shape the outcome of the conflict in its favor. Over the past several days, Iranian missiles have targeted three oil tankers and several oil and gas facilities in neighboring countries while also obstructing […]
Iran’s oil weapon may rattle markets but not alter the war Read More »
After suffering U.S. and Israeli strikes on its military and senior officials, the Islamic Republic launched a missile and drone assault against Arab states along the Persian Gulf. Iranian forces launched roughly 1,500 drones and missiles at Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and even Oman as of March 3, 2026.
Attacking Gulf Arab States Was a Huge Mistake for Iran Read More »
China appears to be replacing disrupted Venezuelan oil shipments with Russian crude rather than Iranian barrels, despite steeper discounts being offered by Tehran. According to data from commodity intelligence firm Kpler, shared with Iran International, China discharged an average of 1.138 million barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude at its ports this month—about 115,000
China refiners turn to Russian oil as Iran faces rising uncertainty Read More »
India, one of Iran’s key trading partners and the country tasked with developing a strategic Chabahar port for the Islamic Republic, has seized three tankers carrying smuggled Iranian oil in waters near its coast. Despite the Indian Coast Guard’s announcement of the seizures, the Iranian government has so far remained silent—underscoring the risks Tehran faces from escalating tensions with
Why Is India Tightening the Screws on Iran Now? Read More »
Capital flight from Iran is accelerating just as oil revenues decline, according to new data from the Central Bank of Iran—a convergence that helps explain the sharp fall of the national currency in recent months. Central bank (CBI) figures show that, even before accounting for sanctions-evasion costs or discounts offered to Chinese buyers, the nominal
Money is leaving Iran faster as oil income falls and uncertainty mounts Read More »
Roughly 170 million barrels of Iranian oil now sit in maritime limbo, circling the globe in what appears less a sanctions workaround than a strategic reserve. It’s enough crude to meet Japan’s energy needs for 50 days — or to fund Iran’s entire annual cash subsidy programme twice over. IOD’s analysis of shipping and energy
Iran’s oil exports declined sharply at the start of 2026, new tanker-tracking data show, raising fresh questions about the durability of Tehran’s most important economic lifeline under renewed US sanctions pressure. Crude oil loadings from Iran’s Persian Gulf terminals fell to below 1.39 million barrels per day in January, a 26 percent drop from a
Tehran’s oil lifeline shows signs of strain under tightening sanctions Read More »
Despite decades of sanctions, military threats, and strategic warnings, nearly all of Iran’s oil exports still flow through a single island—and one of the world’s most volatile maritime chokepoints. As regional tensions escalate, this dependency has become one of the Islamic Republic’s most dangerous structural liabilities. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has warned that any future conflict will
Iran’s Energy Chokepoint: Why Kharg Island Puts Tehran at Risk Read More »
While China’s overseas investment in Belt and Road Initiative projects surged by 62 percent last year compared to 2024, exceeding $85 billion, two sanctioned countries—Russia and Iran, which ironically consider themselves China’s most important partners—received almost none of these investments. A new report by the Green Finance & Development Center shows that the value of Chinese construction
China’s Foreign Investment Jumps as Beijing Bypasses Iran and Russia Read More »
ehran’s frequently invoked threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz may be far easier to signal than to carry out, not least because it would harm allied China more than the hostile West. For now, the threat is muted as Iran and the United States have returned to the negotiating table. But the shadow of
Why Iran may not afford to close the Strait of Hormuz Read More »
