Friday, 17 July 2026

Two oil supertankers run by a single operator appeared to move through the Strait of Hormuz on a U.S.-protected route this week, even as fighting resumed in the region, according to World Oil.

Both vessels are very large crude carriers operated by Kyklades Maritime Corp, based in Piraeus, Greece, World Oil reported.

Tanker traffic across the strait has dropped over the past 24 hours after the U.S. and Iran exchanged missile and drone strikes, according to World Oil.

Several vessels taking the Omani route have been attacked by Iran in recent days, with Tehran pushing to confine shipping to a northerly path through its own waters, World Oil reported.

U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces had assisted in moving 380 MMbbl through the strait since early May, according to World Oil.

Measured from a May 1 start, that volume works out to a flow rate of 5.4 MMbpd, rising to well over 6 MMbpd once Iranian flows are counted, according to World Oil.

The Trump administration finalized a decision to eliminate long-standing regulatory language on habitat protections for endangered species in the United States, according to CleanTechnica.

The decision followed a proposed rulemaking and public comment period. More than 150,000 Americans spoke out against the changes during that period, CleanTechnica reported.

The US launched its heaviest assault on Iran in weeks on Sunday, while Iran struck Gulf nations and announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Semafor Net Zero.

American military bases in Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman came under fire in retaliation for US attacks on southern Iran, Semafor reported.

The US insisted the Strait of Hormuz remained open despite Iran's announced closure, according to Semafor. The outlet said the flareup is set to weigh on energy and equity markets at the start of the week.

President Donald Trump said last week that the ceasefire was "over," Semafor reported.

Regional mediators were still working Sunday to shore up the truce and lobby for de-escalation, according to Semafor.

The UK government will not take forward a formal consumer engagement framework for consumer-led flexibility, choosing a lighter touch approach to intervention, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

DESNZ said the consultation feedback did not provide compelling evidence for medium-high levels of intervention in the current market-led engagement model. On that basis, the government said it will not introduce a formal consumer engagement framework at this time.

Instead, the government proposes a new consumer-led flexibility consumer engagement forum convened by Ofgem. DESNZ described this as one of a set of proportionate actions to support the market-led model.

The department also plans to work with consumer organisations over 2026 to consider expanding their information provision services on consumer-led flexibility.

The department received 62 responses to the consultation from a range of stakeholders. The consultation ran from 23 July 2025 to 19 September 2025.

The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published a July 2026 update to its Clean Flexibility Roadmap on 13 July 2026, according to the department. The roadmap was originally first published on 23 July 2025.

The department said the roadmap was developed by the government, Ofgem and NESO, alongside energy industry stakeholders and consumer groups. It commits named organisations to specific, timebound actions to unlock flexible electricity capacity.

According to the department, the July 2026 update covers progress to date and key metrics for measuring further progress in complex sectors, in particular consumer-led flexibility. The update also sets out new commitments from DESNZ, Ofgem and NESO.

The government describes flexibility as crucial for delivering its Clean Energy Superpower Mission to achieve clean power by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

The Emirati government and cleared companies can now buy semiconductor processors, certain commercial satellites and military equipment, and dual-use goods tied to civil nuclear power without applying for US licenses, according to Semafor Net Zero. Washington has eased its export controls on United Arab Emirates purchases of its most advanced technologies.

No other state in the Middle East, Israel and Saudi Arabia included, holds the same access, Semafor reported.

The Department of Commerce tied the shift to the UAE's backing for the US war against Iran and to its position as America's largest Middle East trading partner, according to Semafor.

Semafor reported the UAE has pledged to invest more than USD 1 trillion in the US.

Earlier administrations had held back over the risk that guarded technologies, including those behind Nvidia's Blackwell chips, might reach China through Emirati access, Semafor reported.