IRGC threatens to halt the entire region's energy exports: oil and gas 'for everyone or for no one'

On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, after the United States reimposed its naval blockade of Iran and widened its air campaign, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned it would halt the region's energy exports entirely. In its statement the Guard said that "the export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one."

The threat points directly at the global oil and gas market, since a large share of the world's energy exports passes through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's own oil exports have fallen to less than a sixth of their pre-war level since the blockade began, and Tehran is now threatening to disrupt the exports of other regional producers as well.

Against this backdrop, Brent crude rose for a fourth straight session to near 85 dollars a barrel, its highest in about a month. Further escalation raises the risk of an energy-price spike and renewed pressure on Iran's exchange rate and domestic inflation.