​Iran’s Revolutionary ‌Guards Navy said it struck ​a ⁠Togo-flagged oil tanker ‌which was ⁠attempting ⁠to make an “illegal passage” ​through ‌the Strait of Hormuz, ‌Iranian ​state media ⁠said early on ‌Friday (September 18, 2026).

The tanker which was attacked on Thursday (September 17, 2026) came to ‌a halt ​after catching ⁠fire, the Revolutionary ⁠Guards Navy ‌added.

The U.S. military said on Saturday (September 13, 2026) that it has pushed back 100 commercial vessels in the past 60 days under its blockade of Iranian ports.

“ZERO ships have passed through the blockade without US forces allowing. American service members remain laser focused on this mission,” U.S. Central Command said on X.

Iran blocked the strategic Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Tehran in late February.

In response, the United States has sought to prevent ships from travelling to and from Iranian ports to deprive Tehran of revenue.

The expiry of the U.S’s Memorandum of Understanding with Iran on Monday with no indication of any extension has left Washington with no clear exit strategy, six months since it launched attacks on Iran along with Israel. This is evidenced in President Donald Trump’s erratic stances on the war, expressed via his statements.

The chart shows an alternation between crude threats of destruction — for instance on March 21, he said that U.S. will destroy Iran’s power plants if Tehran didn’t fully open the Strait of Hormuz — and softened rhetoric when three days later he said that the U.S. and Iran had a productive conversation about resolution (denied by the Iranians).

The yo-yo nature of his statements show how the Trump administration has been stuck in a quagmire following its actions, which lacked a clear strategic objective for the Americans.

Rising petrol and fertilizer prices, the increased costs of waging the war, and the weakening of military advantages have caught it in a bind.

Contrary to Mr.Trump’s assertions on the weakening of Tehran, Iran has not budged from its positions, despite being subject to intense bombing and a renewed naval blockade. Meanwhile, the aerial bombing, missiles and drone-led retaliations by Iran have created a new bottleneck for the U.S. and its allies, who are running low on critical munitions.

This will also come at a great cost. According to estimates by CSIS, the Trump administration’s actions in Iran, till June alone, have already incurred huge costs (~$40 billion).

Iran’s determination to withstand the blockade is costing the U.S. both militarily and monetarily.

The data for the charts were sourced from Truthsocial, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED)

A U.S. helicopter fired missiles on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) into the engine room of a Panama-flagged cargo ship that attempted to break the American blockade of Iran’s ports, the United States military said.

The U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter fired on and disabled the M/V Vela Nova “after the ship’s civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American forces,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X, adding that the vessel “is no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade.”

It was the third time the United States, in a months-long war against Iran, has forcibly halted a vessel since reinstating the ports blockade on July 14.

CENTCOM said it has redirected 55 ships that tried to run the blockade and boarded two others as of Tuesday (August 11).

U.S. forces previously blockaded Iranian ports from April 13 to June 18, during which they disabled nine ships and redirected more than 140, according to CENTCOM.

Iran has demanded that the United States end the ports blockade as part of its conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for oil and gas shipments before the war that has seen traffic plummet due to Tehran’s attacks on ships in the area.

U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his frequent claim on Tuesday (August 11) that the United States has taken over the waterway.

“We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don’t have control. We have total control. We own it,” Mr. Trump told reporters.

U.S. ‌President Donald Trump ​said ⁠on Tuesday (July 14, 2026) that trade and investment deals ‌with the Gulf states will ‌replace the ‌20% ⁠fee for ships ⁠to pass through the Strait of Hormuz ​that ‌he had proposed a day earlier.

West Asia war LIVE: July 14, 2026

He announced that the Strait of Hormuz is open to all ship traffic except for Iran. “We will therefore have a FULL Blockade, but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo,” he posted on Truth Social.

“Based on highly ‌productive conversations with ​Middle East leadership, I have ⁠decided to replace the 20% ‌United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf ‌States will be ​making into the United States,” ⁠he said in a ⁠post on Truth Social. 

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (July 13, 2026) that the United States is “reinstating” a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and will charge ships for safe passage, after another heavy exchange of fire threatened negotiations aimed at ending the war.

He said on social media that Iranian ships will no longer be able to travel through the Strait and America would charge a 20% toll on eligible cargo, as the conflict with Iran has intensified after peace talks failed to deliver meaningful progress.

“We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving,” Mr. Trump said online. “All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.” The President said the toll would help cover “any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World.” A fifth of the world’s oil and gas passed through the strait before Iran asserted control over it after the start of the war.

The latest exchange of fire was sparked by an Iranian attack on a container ship on Sunday (July 12, 2026) in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has asserted control over the critical waterway for international oil and gas since the United States and Israel started the war on Feb. 28.

Iran says it has the right to manage traffic through the strait and potentially charge fees in accordance with an interim peace deal reached last month. The U.S. and others dispute that, citing international law on freedom of navigation, and the American military has tried to establish an alternative route outside of Iranian control.

Iran and the U.S. are nearly halfway through the 60-day period in which they were supposed to negotiate a permanent end to the war and an agreement on Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Instead, a series of attacks over the strait have raised fears of a return to all-out war and further disruption to the global economy.

Oil prices jumped nearly 5% on Monday (July 13, 2026) before falling back. U.S. benchmark crude, which had risen to nearly $120 a barrel at the height of the war, was trading at around $72.92. Markets were mixed.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the G7 Summit, France has proposed a broader maritime security partnership with India, including participation in a multinational initiative aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

French diplomatic sources said in New Delhi on Thursday (June 11, 2026) discussions between the two leaders are expected to cover a wide range of issues, including defence cooperation, maritime security, military hardware and developments in West Asia.

According to the sources, France is working with a group of partner nations to ensure maritime security and freedom of navigation in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz amid rising regional tensions. India is expected to be among the countries invited to join the initiative.

The sources also revealed that leaders from India, the United States, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are expected to participate in a West Asia-focused meeting on the margins of the G7 Summit.

Briefing the media about Prime Minister Modi’s upcoming travel plans for France and Slovakia, Secretary (West) Sibi George of the Ministry of External Affairs said that when Mr. Modi and Mr. Macron meet, “All issues of interest — global issues — including the developments in West Asia will be discussed.”

Hinting at the French proposal on working with a group of partner countries for the Strait of Hormuz, he said “new announcements being made by various sides” will be discussed as well.

The Modi-Macron meeting is expected to review progress in strategic cooperation across defence, security, technology and global governance while also exchanging views on key regional and international developments.

Addressing concerns over the evolving security situation in the region, French diplomatic sources stressed the importance of maintaining open sea lanes and uninterrupted maritime trade. “We emphasise free navigation. We are not part of the war, but it has an impact on all of us,” the sources said, underlining the global economic and security implications of instability in the Gulf region.

On India’s invitation to the G7 Summit, the sources described New Delhi as a key strategic partner for France.

“India is a top priority for us; we have a special relationship. India has joined all the G7 tracks,” the sources said. The French side also highlighted the growing depth of bilateral ties, describing the relationship as one marked by a high degree of mutual trust and confidence.

“We have reached a level of trust and confidence where it is easy for both of us to talk about anything,” the sources said, adding that France is closely following India’s expanding global role, including its upcoming BRICS chairmanship and the legacy of its successful G20 Presidency.

Mr. George further said that defence-related announcements will be made during PM Modi’s visit to Slovakia during June 14-16. “We have been engaging with Slovakia in the defence sector over the last several years. There has been a close engagement. This visit would help us take this relation to a new high level of engagement,” Mr. George said, adding that there will be “specific areas that will be discussed and covered” during Mr. Modi’s visit to Slovakia.

The volume of India’s imports of crude oil fell 4.3% in April 2026, the second month after the start of the conflict in West Asia, while the value soared about 50% over the comparable period last year, according to provisional government data, an indication of the price pressure on crude oil and natural gas due to the continuing closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Notably, the latest data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), the volume of imports of liquified natural gas (LNG) declined nearly 30% in April 2026, even though domestic net production of natural gas fell 4.2% during the month. This was, however, due to lower consumption.

Overall, the net import bill for oil and gas, which is inclusive of certain deductions from India’s export of petroleum products, grew about 23% to $13.9 billion in April.

Imports of crude oil down, bill soars

The PPAC data shows that India imported 20.1 MMT of crude oil in April this year, as compared to 21 MMT in the comparable period last year.

However, India’s oil-marketing companies paid $16.3 billion for their imports in April this year as compared to $10.7 billion they had paid in the same month last year.

The warning signs in India’s import bill

Natural gas, LPG consumption decline from last year

Further, sales of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) by PSUs, including domestic, auto LPG and non-domestic LPG, also dipped 12.7% on a year-on-year basis to about 2.2 million metric tonnes (MMT). During the conflict, the government has allocated commercial establishment 70% of the LPG they were using before the crisis.

As for natural gas, the country consumed 4,703 MMSCM of natural gas in April this year, which was 16.7% lower than corresponding period last year.

LNG imports, net production also slows

Likely as a result of this lower consumption, India imported 1,954 million standard cubic metres (MMSCM) of LNG in April this year down from 2,778 MMSCM in the same month of last year. In value terms, the LNG import bill fell one-fourth from $1.2 billion to $0.9 billion during the reported period.

India’s import dependency on natural gas declined to 41.6% in April this year from 49.2% in same month last year.

The net production of natural gas, which accounts for the quantum lost due to flaring and for other reasons, dipped 4.2% on a year-on-year basis to 2,749 MMSCM.

Pakistan has shared with the U.S. a revised ​proposal from Iran to end the conflict in ‌West Asia, a Pakistani source told ​Reuters on Monday (May 18, 2026), as peace talks appeared ⁠to remain stalled.

“We don’t have much time,” the source said, when asked if it would take time to ‌close gaps, adding that both countries “keep changing their goalposts”.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil ‌Baghaei confirmed that Tehran’s views had been “conveyed ‌to ⁠the American side through mediator Pakistan”.

U.S. President ⁠Donald Trump said last week that a ceasefire with Iran, which was reached in early April, was “on life support” after ​Tehran’s response to ‌a U.S. proposal to end the war made clear the two sides were still far apart on a number of issues.

The issues holding up ‌negotiations between the two sides include Iran’s ​nuclear ambitions and its control of the Strait of Hormuz, where it has ⁠shut down shipping traffic that normally carries one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.

Iran ‌has called for an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, where U.S. ally Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Tehran has ruled out discussing its nuclear programme before the “permanent end of hostilities”.

Tehran also wants compensation ‌for war damage, an end to the U.S. naval blockade, ​a guarantee of no further attacks, and resumption of Iranian oil sales.

Mr. Baghaei said ⁠Tehran was prepared for all scenarios.

“As for their ⁠threats, rest assured that we are fully aware of how to respond appropriately to ‌even the smallest mistake from the opposing side,” Mr. Baghaei told a televised weekly press conference.