{"id":106644,"date":"2026-03-01T03:05:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T06:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/896577143"},"modified":"2026-03-01T03:05:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T06:05:10","slug":"gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/01\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Gulf Conflict Raises Oil Price and Hormuz Shipping Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img data-opt-id=758893364  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/mlmjbqro95r8.i.optimole.com\/cb:bOxR.6a5\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/mezha.net\/eng\/kd_image_generate\/gulf-conflict-raises-oil-price-and-hormuz-shipping-risk\/1303726.jpg?ver=0.0.4&ssl=1\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p>Global energy markets have been hit by one of the most serious shocks in decades following joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and, in response, Tehran\u2019s missile attacks on targets in Persian Gulf countries. As tensions rise, the risks to oil exports from a region that supplies roughly 20% of global deliveries are increasing.<\/p>\n<p>How severe the disruption becomes will depend primarily on how long the fighting lasts. But even without confirmed large-scale damage, the threats and uncertainty alone are already forcing the market to price in higher risk \u2013 both in crude prices and in logistics.<\/p>\n<h2>Oil prices could surge sharply<\/h2>\n<p>If the conflict is not brought under control quickly, notable price spikes are expected when trading opens on Monday. Benchmark Brent crude has climbed to around $70 a barrel in recent weeks \u2013 its highest level since August 2025 \u2013 as investors braced for a potential military escalation in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<h2>Strikes on Iran and the missile response: what we know now<\/h2>\n<p>On Saturday, the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran. The targets were said to include senior leaders, and the developments triggered a further widening of the conflict in the region. U.S. President Donald Trump said the attacks were intended to eliminate a security threat to the United States and give Iranians a chance to overthrow their rulers.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em><span>\u201cThe attacks would eliminate a security threat to the United States and give Iranians an opportunity to topple their rulers.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<footer>\u2013 Donald Trump<\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As of now, there has been no confirmation of damage to oil and gas infrastructure as a result of Iranian strikes. At the same time, explosions were reported in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait \u2013 two major oil exporters. Qatar, the world\u2019s second-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, said it intercepted missiles aimed at the country.<\/p>\n<p>Explosions were also reported in Bahrain and near Iran\u2019s Kharg Island \u2013 an export terminal through which about 90% of Iran\u2019s crude oil exports typically pass. However, shipping data indicate that in recent days Tehran may have moved most of the oil stored there out on tankers.<\/p>\n<h2>The Strait of Hormuz: the key risk chokepoint<\/h2>\n<p>Crucially, there have so far been no reports of a halt to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz \u2013 a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman through which nearly 20 million barrels of crude oil and refined products pass each day.<\/p>\n<p>But even without physical damage, the situation remains dangerous for the market. The mere risk that tankers could end up \u201ctrapped\u201d in the Gulf north of Hormuz \u2013 or become targets \u2013 is already pushing producers, traders, and carriers to rethink routes and schedules. Reports said some major oil companies and trading houses have suspended transits through the strait for several days.<\/p>\n<p>Caution is unlikely to fade until there is far greater confidence in the safety of maritime routes. Against this backdrop, tanker freight rates \u2013 which had already been rising amid tensions \u2013 could climb even higher. Benchmark rates for very large crude carriers (VLCCs) on the Middle East\u2013China route have more than tripled since the start of the year, reflecting both higher risk and a shrinking number of vessels willing to operate in the threat zone.<\/p>\n<h2>Could the strait be closed \u2013 and what would it mean<\/h2>\n<p>The key questions in the coming days are whether energy infrastructure will become a direct target and how quickly the U.S. military can ensure safe navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>While Iran is unlikely to sustain a prolonged blockade, it does have options to disrupt traffic temporarily. Even brief attacks or mining operations could have an outsized effect on prices and the availability of supplies. The United States would likely respond quickly, but markets typically react painfully even to short-lived disruptions in such a strategic corridor.<\/p>\n<h2>Historical parallels and today\u2019s conditions<\/h2>\n<p>Similar threats to shipping in the region have emerged before. During the Iran\u2013Iraq War in the 1980s, Iran attacked commercial vessels and U.S. Navy ships, after which President Ronald Reagan deployed American forces to escort tankers. Renewed clashes between Iranian and U.S. naval forces were also recorded in late 2007 and early 2008. In April 2023, Iran\u2019s navy seized the tanker Advantage Sweet in the Gulf of Oman, which had been chartered by Chevron; the vessel was released more than a year later.<\/p>\n<h2>Stocks and production outside the region do not guarantee calm<\/h2>\n<p>Today\u2019s global oil market generally looks better supplied than in some past periods, as production has increased in the United States, Brazil, Canada, and other countries in recent years. At the same time, risks in the Middle East could quickly wipe out part of that \u201cbuffer\u201d if export routes begin to operate intermittently.<\/p>\n<p>Saudi Arabia, the world\u2019s largest oil exporter, has increased shipments in recent days. They are expected to exceed 7 million barrels a day in February \u2013 the highest level since April 2023. It is also expected that OPEC+ (OPEC countries and allies, including Russia) will agree to boost output at Sunday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n<p>Still, even additional production may not fully offset the risks if supplies from the region run into logistical constraints. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have some alternative routes, but they do not remove the main bottleneck \u2013 the security of sea lanes in the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n<h2>What could become the turning point<\/h2>\n<p>The scale of the U.S. and Israeli strikes, as well as Washington\u2019s rhetoric, may point to preparations for a longer military campaign aimed at significantly weakening Iran\u2019s leadership. How threatened Iran\u2019s leaders feel could determine the next level of escalation \u2013 particularly whether attacks expand to a wider range of targets in the region, including oil fields, export terminals, and refining capacity.<\/p>\n<p>Even without the worst-case scenarios materializing, the current escalation already creates the risk of major disruptions to oil and LNG supplies from the Middle East \u2013 disruptions the global market has not felt for many years.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\"> <\/a><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\/acceptable.html\"> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8230; exports typically pass. However, <span class=\"match\">shipping<\/span> data indicate that in recent &#8230; reports of a halt to <span class=\"match\">shipping<\/span> through the Strait of &#8230; routes. Against this backdrop, tanker <span class=\"match\">freight<\/span> rates \u00e2\u0080\u0093 which had already &#8230; s conditions Similar threats to <span class=\"match\">shipping<\/span> in the region have &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106644"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106644\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}