Breaking news of Wednesday, 19 August 2026
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2 checks · 4 flash
- 21:01
Hormuz, according to Kpler Iran has partially lost control of the strait
Gulf crude is flowing again. Homayoun Falakshahi, head of crude oil analysis at Kpler, tells CNN: “It increasingly appears that Iran has at least partially lost control of the strait” (transl. from English). A month ago the Omani route was nearly deserted. According to Lipow Oil Associates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates are chartering giant tankers that leave Hormuz and transfer their cargo in the Gulf of Oman, often with transponders switched off: traffic that partly escapes tracking. The US Department of Energy estimates outbound flows have risen back to 9 million barrels per day.
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- 21:01
UAE suspend trade and financial dealings with Iran
Abu Dhabi has halted all trade and financial exchanges with Tehran, effective immediately and for an indefinite period. The announcement came from the director of strategic communication at the Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “all trade exchanges and financial transactions with Iran have been halted” (transl. from English), reports Euronews; also confirmed by The National. The decision follows the launch of two ballistic missiles that fell into the sea, one in Emirati territorial waters, and attacks on three ADNOC vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz between August 13 and 15. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghaei called the accusations “baseless”.
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- 21:01
US-South Korea drills cut by half
The annual joint military exercises between Washington and Seoul will be shortened and reduced by about half at the request of the US president, who is seeking a meeting with Kim Jong Un. The account comes from the Wall Street Journal, picked up in the afternoon by CBS News and Novosti Mail.ru. The report currently stems from a single source (Wall Street Journal); no independent confirmation nor official confirmation from the Pentagon or the South Korean Ministry of Defense is available at the time of publication.
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- 11:53
Brent at $91.52, fourth straight rise as Hormuz remains blocked
Brent is trading at $91.52 a barrel on August 19, up 0.55% from the previous close and up 36.92% year-on-year: the fourth consecutive rise, with no agreement between Washington and Tehran on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said there are no negotiations underway and that the US naval blockade remains in place; transit remains reduced, with eight attacks on ships reported since the start of August. US crude inventories fell by 328,000 barrels after the previous week’s jump of 9.07 million. The price data comes from a single source (Trading Economics); macro calendar on Teleborsa.
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