49 entries, newest first, by day in U.S. Mountain Time.
OilPrice.com reported Brent crude trading at $116.56 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate at $103.35. Both benchmarks were heading for another weekly gain and a fourth consecutive monthly gain amid concerns about Middle Eastern supply disruptions, including Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure.
Final results from Israel's Central Elections Committee gave Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc 53 of the Knesset's 120 seats, eight short of a majority. The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats, while Raam and the Joint List won a combined 19. Likud remained the largest party with 27 seats.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed missile and drone attacks targeting Ras Tanura refinery, an Aramco facility in Abqaiq, Riyadh and Dammam airports, Rabigh refinery and a military headquarters in Najran. Al Jazeera reported no independent corroboration of the claims.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said four tankers struck naval mines after using routes it described as unauthorised in the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera's liveblog headline also reported the IRGC's claim that the tankers caught fire. The supplied reporting does not identify the vessels or independently confirm the incidents.
With more than 99% of ballots tallied, Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc held 53 seats, Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc had 48, and Arab-list parties held 19. Neither major bloc reached the 61 seats needed to control the 120-seat Knesset; opposition figures met to discuss forming a coalition.
ExxonMobil Chief Executive Darren Woods and Chevron upstream president Clay Neff canceled plans to attend the November 2-5 ADIPEC energy conference in Abu Dhabi, according to Reuters sources cited by OilPrice.com. Neither company commented.
French Economy Minister Roland Lescure said European governments will release 42 million barrels of emergency oil stocks over three months, with diesel accounting for half of the volume. France plans to supply 10 million barrels of diesel at cost in the coming days.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog warned against tarnishing an entire community after Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies alleged ballot fraud involving Arab-led parties. Herzog said he had spoken with the central elections committee and Shin Bet about alleged foreign interference and called for a thorough investigation. He also urged parties to reconsider their positions ahead of coalition talks.
Shell reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $10.814 billion, compared with $5.432 billion a year earlier. Its indicative refining margin rose to a record $42 per barrel from $24 in the second quarter. OilPrice.com attributed the gains to strong trading, higher oil and gas prices and fuel-supply disruptions during the Middle East crisis.
TotalEnergies reported third-quarter adjusted net income of $9.1 billion, up 127% from a year earlier and above analysts' average forecast of $8.3 billion. The company cited historically high refining margins, higher oil and gas prices, and strong oil and LNG trading. Quarterly cash flow reached $12.3 billion.
Israeli police dismissed Likud's claim that parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel had stolen the election, the Guardian reported. Likud demanded a police and Shin Bet investigation without providing evidence, while absentee ballots continued to be counted.
UKMTO said another vessel's captain reported a ship on fire nine nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman. The cause, crew status, damage and environmental impact were unknown. DW said it was unclear whether the vessel was among three tankers Iran claimed had struck mines during the preceding 24 hours.
OilPrice.com reported Brent crude trading at $114.14 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate at $101.45, both below Wednesday's levels. The outlet linked the decline to renewed hopes for negotiations following reported US diplomatic outreach to Iran.
Activist Adele Shoko said armed Israeli settlers assaulted her, US journalist Jasper Nathaniel and Israeli-Russian activist Andrey X in Umm al-Khair. Al Jazeera reported that footage showed men beating Nathaniel and Andrey X and Israeli authorities leading Nathaniel away. Shoko said Andrey X lost consciousness repeatedly and was detained without hospital treatment; those medical and detention details were her account.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is in close contact with mediators over ideas to implement its seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported.
OilPrice reported that India’s LNG imports are expected to reach 2.8 million tonnes in October, up 18% from a year earlier. The outlet said arrivals from Qatar and the UAE were rising month on month as Gulf flows gradually recovered, while Asian benchmark LNG prices stood around $33 per million British thermal units.
With more than 92% of ballots counted, Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and the opposition bloc were both projected to remain below the 61-seat threshold. Palestinian-Israeli parties were projected to hold 19 seats, making coalition negotiations decisive.
UBS raised its year-end 2026 Brent crude forecast to $110 a barrel from $100, citing Gulf crude and condensate loadings that remain below prewar levels, high tanker costs and falling inventories.
Equinor raised its forecast for 2026 oil and gas production growth to about 4%, from prior guidance of 3%, after reporting third-quarter equity production of 2.166 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Damascus and met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Iraq's state news agency said they discussed exporting Iraqi oil through the Baniyas line, expanding trade and security cooperation.
Saudi shipping company Bahri reported third-quarter net profit of $1.36 billion, up from $137 million a year earlier and 85% above the second quarter. OilPrice reported that the company's oil-shipping business benefited from record tanker rates as prolonged Strait of Hormuz disruption lengthened voyages and tied up vessels.
The Guardian reported that updated election figures boosted Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar and Naftali Bennett's Together, bringing the anti-Netanyahu bloc to 49 seats. Arab parties' projected total fell to 17 from the previously reported 19, while Netanyahu's bloc remained at 54. The liveblog described 84% of ballots as counted.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Qatar had brought Tehran "unacceptable" ideas, denying that mediators had presented a new peace proposal. The official said Tehran would show no flexibility on the nuclear issue. CBS News carried the remarks in its live coverage.
With approximately four million ballots counted by 11 a.m. local time, the Guardian reported that Netanyahu's bloc stood at 54 seats, Gadi Eisenkot's Change bloc at 47, and two Palestinian Israeli parties at 19. Likud remained the largest party, while Netanyahu's far-right allies lost support.
The Guardian reports that Gulf states are negotiating a multipart peace plan involving reopening the Strait of Hormuz and substantial Houthi withdrawals inside Yemen. Iranian security official Ali Bagheri said Iran was willing to shorten its proposed interval between sanctions relief and reopening the strait from seven days to four. The United States is aware of the talks but is seeking a further concession; European diplomats identify renewed UN nuclear inspections as a potential requirement.
OilPrice.com reports that Brent futures rose 1.62% to $115.70 a barrel and WTI rose 1.34% to $101.20 in early Asian trading Wednesday. The outlet attributed the gains to concerns about Saudi supplies following Houthi attack claims, falling U.S. inventories and reports of possible further U.S. military action. Saudi authorities had not confirmed a direct hit on Ras Tanura, and major operational disruption had not been independently verified.
Syria said the Nassib crossing with Jordan would reopen Wednesday morning for regular passenger and commercial traffic, Al Jazeera reported, citing SANA. The crossing had briefly closed following Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria. The report also says the two countries agreed to establish a security committee to examine the strikes’ aftermath.
Exit polls released after Israeli polling stations closed projected 50 Knesset seats for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc and 52 or 53 for the bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot. A governing majority requires 61 seats.
Saudi Aramco offered additional late-October and November crude cargoes to European refiners after the East-West pipeline resumed operations, OilPrice reported, citing Bloomberg. The company also told refiners they would receive full contracted November allocations after October cancellations tied to the pipeline attack.
China announced on Tuesday that it would send an envoy to relevant countries in the region to help prevent another escalation in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, Al Jazeera reported.
Israeli police arrested a suspect carrying a knife at an election event for Democrats leader Yair Golan in Tel Aviv. Police said no attempted stabbing took place, contradicting the party’s description of a suspected attempt.
France 24 reported turnout unseen in decades as Israelis voted in the first parliamentary election since the October 7, 2023 attack. Voters are deciding whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains in office amid unresolved regional wars.
Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, both 24-year-old British nationals, were charged under the National Security Act following arrests connected to an alleged Iran-linked plot targeting RAF Fairford. The U.S. military used the base to launch strikes on Iran. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said Tuesday that the United States had not pressured India to reduce Russian crude imports. He said refiners were buying more Middle Eastern crude because availability had increased and pricing was more favorable than Russian grades, with purchasing decisions driven by prices, discounts and import costs.
OilPrice.com reported Brent crude trading at $114.85 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate at $100.87 as prices moved lower on renewed diplomatic efforts and profit-taking. Brent had ended the previous week above $117 and WTI above $103.
Polling opened in Israel’s first parliamentary election since the October 7, 2023 attacks. Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to retain power, with former military chief Gadi Eisenkot the leading opposition contender. The Guardian reports that polling suggests neither Netanyahu’s coalition nor the opposition bloc will secure the 61 seats needed to form a government.
UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a vessel on fire off Iraq’s coast, according to Al Jazeera. The supplied report does not identify the vessel or establish the cause of the fire.
Iran said the United States was “not serious” about negotiations, Al Jazeera reported. The available excerpt does not identify the Iranian speaker or specify any change to scheduled talks.
Jordan's air force said it struck armed groups in Syria in retaliation for the October 23 attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak that killed nine people. Jordan said the operation killed and wounded militants and destroyed vehicles; Syrian state media said at least five civilians were killed in Daraa.
AAA data cited by OilPrice.com put the U.S. national average for regular gasoline at approximately $4.29 per gallon on October 26, compared with $3.05 a year earlier. The report attributed the increase largely to disruptions to crude shipments, refining and fuel exports during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Rystad Energy estimated that global LNG importers will spend at least $39 billion more on contracted and spot supplies in 2026 while buying 60.7 million tonnes less LNG, as disruptions to Qatari and UAE exports through the Strait of Hormuz force buyers to seek replacement cargoes.
Egypt's parliament authorized President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to provide military support if Saudi Arabia requests help defending its territory and borders against the Houthis. Sisi said Egyptian support would not include attacks inside Yemen.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry reported that Israeli authorities and forces committed crimes against humanity, including extermination, as well as war crimes in the occupied West Bank. Israel rejects the commission's allegations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani military chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin in Tehran. The delegation's agenda includes renewed U.S.-Iran tensions and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
BPCL finance chief Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta told analysts that the Indian refiner would significantly reduce Russian crude purchases for November because higher freight costs and premiums make Middle Eastern grades more commercially attractive. Russian crude supplied 37% of BPCL's oil in July–September.
Iran's hardline Paydari Front asked parliament and the Supreme National Security Council to initiate withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Al Jazeera reported. The demand comes amid opposition within Iran to President Masoud Pezeshkian's pursuit of negotiations with Washington; it is not a government withdrawal decision.
Israeli ground and air attacks killed at least five people and wounded more than a dozen in Gaza on Monday, local medics reported. Medical sources and first responders said an air attack on a displaced-person camp near Khan Younis killed at least four people, including a young girl. Al-Shifa Hospital reported another person killed in a drone attack on displaced people in Gaza City's Remal neighbourhood.
Saudi and Iranian officials confirmed plans for Monday talks in Tehran involving Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani military chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. Iran’s delegation will be led by security chief Mohsen Rezaei. The Saudi government said the visit supports de-escalation and mediation by Qatar and Pakistan; the report did not establish that talks had begun.
OilPrice, citing Bloomberg, reported that Saudi Arabia struck an agreement with Singapore to store crude in the Jurong Rock Caverns. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027. The report also said Saudi Aramco is seeking additional overseas storage capacity amid disruptions to Saudi exports.