Fra Danske Bank:
Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has reportedly been more busy in late summer weeks than open source data shows. The US Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed in August that even 9Mb/d had been transiting the strait. The figure might be stretched, but it is likely that some tankers go under the radar. China’s lower crude oil imports have also been a key factor in keeping oil prices below USD 100.
In late August and early September, fighting has re-escalated between the US and Iran, especially around the Strait of Hormuz. Reportedly , the US has made its first attacks against Iranian oil tankers, responding to Iran’s repeated targeting of vessels attempting to pass through the strait.
Apart from the re-escalation in the Iran war, an interesting regional military alliance has emerged after Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a joint defence agreement that “stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all “. Sounds like NATO’s article 5, but is it really? Read more in our Editorial.
In our Middle East section, we discuss the status of Iran-Oman talks and the US plans of a major troop pullback from the Persian Gulf. In July, Trump also announced a “historical disarmament” deal with Hamas. How is that one going?
In our Russia-Ukraine section, we list down the latest developments: Russian hybrid warfare and the drone incident in Leipzig, as well as CIA Radclife’s surprise visit to Moscow.
In terms of China-US relations, all eyes are on the upcoming Xi-Trump summit.
In under the radar section, we discuss a number of interesting developments such as rising tensions between Turkey and Israel in Syria, the Chinese construction activities in Paracel islands, and the US-Saudi nuclear deal, among other things.
Hurtige nyheder er stadig i beta-fasen, og fejl kan derfor forekomme.
