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The UAE's Maritime Affairs Department at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure announced on Wednesday, 15 Mehr 1405 (October 7, 2026), that 472 vessels are barred from using the country's port services. The department gave no specific reason for the ban, but according to Fars News Agency, as relayed by EcoIran, a review found that most of the affected vessels are either linked to Iran or have used Iranian routes to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement comes amid a recent intensification of attacks on tankers crossing the strait.

According to Donya-e-Eqtesad, citing the Financial Times, Russell Hardy, CEO of Vitol, the world's largest independent oil trading company, warned at the London Energy Information conference that the energy crisis stemming from West Asia conflicts has entered a new phase, with a tanker shortage, rather than a crude oil shortage, now the market's main challenge. He said that despite rising oil exports from the Persian Gulf (around 12,000,000 barrels of crude and 2,000,000 barrels of products per day), buyers' inability to secure vessels has driven a sharp jump in tanker charter rates. Hardy warned that halting this export flow, which he said has drained world oil and fuel reserves after seven months of the US war on Iran, could push oil prices to 200 dollars a barrel. He said North Sea crude traded at 145 dollars a barrel last week and that European refining margins have turned negative, while US refining margins remain above 70 dollars a barrel.

According to The Guardian, as reported by Donya-e-Eqtesad, Russia's transport ministry said today, Wednesday, 15 Mehr 1405 (October 7, 2026), that a Liberian flagged tanker was hit by a drone near the Black Sea coast in Russian waters and caught fire; the ministry said all 23 Indian crew members were rescued. Smoke from the blaze covered parts of the coastal city of Sochi, and firefighting had not yet begun due to the intensity of the fire. The Guardian noted that Russia and Ukraine have targeted commercial vessels around the Black Sea since the war began; Kyiv has not commented on this attack. The incident follows a series of tanker attacks in Black Sea waters and the Strait of Hormuz that oil industry figures say are adding to a global shortage of tanker capacity.

Sadegh Azimifar, head of Iran's National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, announced on Tuesday, 14 Mehr 1405 (October 6, 2026), that power plant fuel reserves have exceeded 90 percent of capacity, now standing at about 3,200,000,000 liters of fuel oil and gas. According to EcoIran, that volume is up 25 percent from the same period last year, giving the country a buffer for stable winter energy supply and reduced power shortfalls. Earlier, Omid Shakeri, managing director of National Petrochemical Industries, reported that 60 percent of petrochemical capacity lost earlier this year had been restored, while Ahmad Zeraatkar, the oil minister's deputy for planning, said about 50 percent of South Pars' damaged capacity had returned to service by the end of Shahrivar (September 22).

Hamid Bourd was formally introduced as Iran's caretaker Minister of Petroleum in a ceremony held on Tuesday, 14 Mehr 1405 (October 6, 2026), attended by First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and senior oil industry officials. According to Donya-e-Eqtesad, President Masoud Pezeshkian accepted the resignation of outgoing minister Mohsen Paknejad on Sunday, 12 Mehr (October 4), and appointed Bourd as caretaker in the same decree. At the ceremony, Aref praised Paknejad's performance over the past 26 months, particularly during wartime, while Bourd pledged continuity of the oil industry's production and development programs.

According to a Reuters report published Monday, 5 October 2026, preliminary data from ship-tracking firm Kpler show Middle East crude exports reached 19.5 to 22.5 million barrels per day on four of the last seven days of September, despite continued attacks on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, exceeding the pre-war average of 18 million bpd recorded between March 2025 and February 2026. The seven-day moving average of crude exports stood at 18.5 million bpd on 1 October, while combined exports of crude, oil products and chemicals averaged 22.4 million bpd in the week to 30 September. Maritime intelligence firm Marisks reported at least seven incidents in the Strait of Hormuz, including a strike on the VLCC tanker Kazimah III on 1 October, which caught fire after being hit by an unidentified projectile; the crew was reported safe. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency has reported at least one attack per day in the Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Aden since 2 October.

Yemen's armed forces (Ansar Allah) said early Tuesday, 6 October 2026, that they carried out three operations using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones against targets inside Saudi Arabia, according to a statement read by forces spokesman Yahya Saree. The statement said King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, the Aramco refinery in Rabigh, and Abha airport along with several bases in southern Saudi Arabia were struck. Iran's IRNA, citing AFP, reported that several explosions were heard in Riyadh. Al Jazeera reported that a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition described the claim of hitting Riyadh as misleading. Yemeni forces said the operations were in response to 60 Saudi-led air and missile strikes on Sanaa and several Yemeni provinces over the previous 24 hours. The development comes as global oil markets remain sensitive to tensions around the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations body (UKMTO) said on Monday, October 5, 2026 (13 Mehr 1405) that it had received a delayed report of a fresh incident in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the report, carried by ISNA, a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier heading into the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a projectile. UKMTO also reported a missile attack on another tanker in the same area. Earlier the same day, UKMTO had reported that a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz had been attacked, part of an earlier bulletin describing four tankers targeted over 48 hours. These incidents extend a series of attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks amid escalating tension between Iran and the United States, a pattern that has sharply driven up war risk insurance costs for vessels on this route.

Iran's energy minister said on Sunday, October 4, 2026 (12 Mehr 1405), that no plan for a general increase in electricity prices is on the agenda. According to Mehr News Agency, he added that, in line with fairness and support for lower income groups, heavy fines have been set for high consumption electricity users.

Mohammad Javad Askari, head of the Iranian parliament's agriculture, water, natural resources and environment committee, said on Monday, October 5, 2026 (13 Mehr 1405), that the current proposal from members of the council that sets prices for staple agricultural goods puts the guaranteed wheat purchase price for the next crop year at an average of 85,000 tomans. According to Tasnim, carried by Donya-e-Eqtesad, he stressed the figure is still under review in parliament's agriculture committee and has not been finalized. The guaranteed wheat purchase price for the current crop year (1404 to 1405) was set at an average of 49,550 tomans.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations body (UKMTO) said in the early hours of Monday, October 5, 2026 (13 Mehr 1405), that four tankers have been targeted in the Strait of Hormuz over the past 48 hours. According to Ecoiran, citing Fararu and CNBC, the crew of one tanker damaged on Friday, October 2 (10 Mehr), were forced to abandon the vessel. Another tanker targeted on Saturday, October 3 (11 Mehr), briefly drifted before being towed toward the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. UKMTO also said at least two other vessels were targeted over the weekend in waters near Oman and Iran. The incidents are the latest in a series of attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks.

On Sunday, October 4, 2026 (12 Mehr 1405), the Iranian president's communications deputy announced that the president had accepted the resignation of Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad. According to Mehr News Agency, citing the presidential website, the president issued a separate decree the same day appointing Hamid Bord as caretaker oil minister. The text of the decree, published on the government's information portal, gave no specific reason for Paknejad's resignation and instructed Bord to carry out his duties within the constitution and the Seventh Development Plan.

The seven core OPEC Plus members, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Kazakhstan and Oman, decided in an online meeting on Sunday, October 4, 2026 (12 Mehr 1405) to keep their November oil output targets unchanged, a decision Reuters said was in line with market expectations. Gulf OPEC Plus producers continue to pump well below their stated targets because of disruption from the US and Israeli war against Iran, with their exports fluctuating between 60 and 80 percent of normal levels in recent months. These seven countries had also announced a coordinated release of 100 million barrels from strategic energy reserves to prevent a sharper price shock, a move that helped oil prices ease slightly last Friday. Brent crude nonetheless remains above $100 a barrel, compared with roughly $73 before the Iran war began in late February. OPEC data shows the seven produced 25 million barrels per day in August, up 630,000 bpd from July, but still about 5 million bpd below pre war February levels. The group's next meeting is set for November 1 (10 Aban).

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, quoted by Fararu and EcoIran on Sunday, October 4, 2026 (12 Mehr 1405), claimed that Iran wants to play games with issues like the Strait of Hormuz, but that effectively nothing has gotten through the US blockade. He said the blockade is completely solid with no gaps, that the US operates nearly every night at a level close to pre war activity, and that the US is in a very strong position. Hegseth said Iran must make the right choice, or President Trump will have all the options he needs on the table, and that the US can keep the blockade going for as long as necessary and adjust it as conditions require. He claimed that because Iran lacks a navy, fast boats and an air force, controlling the Strait of Hormuz is very difficult for Iran, and that the US dominates the strait both asymmetrically and conventionally. Hegseth also said Iran will never obtain a nuclear bomb and described Iran's efforts to rebuild its missile and defense capabilities as very slow.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Sunday, October 4, 2026 (12 Mehr 1405) that it had received a report of an incident inside the Strait of Hormuz. According to UKMTO, as reported by Al Jazeera and Iran's Mehr News Agency, a tanker reported being struck by an unidentified projectile that caused damage to its engine room. UKMTO said the vessel's crew are all safe and that no report of environmental damage has been received so far. The ship's identity and flag were not specified in the initial report. The incident adds to a series of attacks on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz over recent months amid the escalation between Iran and the United States and Israel, a pattern that has sharply driven up war risk insurance premiums for vessels on this route.

Yemen's armed forces (Ansarallah/Houthis) said in a statement on Sunday, October 4, 2026 (12 Mehr 1405) that they carried out two separate ballistic missile and drone operations against Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil company: the first targeting Aramco facilities in Riyadh and the second targeting the company's facilities in the Khurais region. The group claimed both operations struck their targets accurately and caused large fires at the sites. The statement said the attacks were in response to 50 Saudi air and missile strikes over the previous 12 hours against Sanaa and the provinces of Al Jawf, Taiz, Amran, Hajjah and Saada, and that total Saudi strikes on Yemen since the latest round of escalation began have reached 1,460. Yemen's forces said they would continue targeting Saudi military bases and oil facilities until the blockade on Yemen ends. The attack follows a Saturday, October 3 strike on Aramco facilities in Riyadh that disrupted flights at Riyadh and Dammam airports. Saudi Arabia and Aramco have not independently confirmed the extent of damage from this latest round of attacks.

Yemen's Houthi (Ansar Allah) armed forces spokesman, Yahya Saree, said in a statement on Saturday, Mehr 11, 1405 (October 3, 2026), posted on X, that the group had carried out a "precise and direct" ballistic missile and drone operation against an Aramco facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which he said sparked fires at the site. Al Jazeera reported that a large plume of smoke and fire was seen near an Aramco facility in Riyadh on Saturday, though Saudi authorities and Aramco have not commented on the cause. Citing Tasnim and regional sources, Khabaronline reported that explosions were heard in Dammam early Sunday, Mehr 12 (October 4), and that flights were disrupted at Dammam's King Fahd airport and at Riyadh airport, with some unconfirmed reports pointing to a strike on Aramco's Yanbu facility as well. In response, the Saudi led coalition said it carried out 97 "precise targeting operations" against Houthi forces on the Tor al Baha and Taiz fronts early Sunday. Fighting has intensified since a fragile 2022 truce collapsed this past July.

According to Mehr News Agency, Mohammadreza Modarres Khiabani, CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group, told the company's annual general meeting that its container ship Tosca was attacked by the US Navy during a ceasefire while carrying Red Crescent linked medicine and dialysis patient supplies. He said the vessel's engine room was struck and 28 crew members, including two spouses and an 11 year old child of crew, were detained. He called the attack a war crime and a ceasefire violation and said IRISL would pursue the matter in international courts. He added that more than 85 percent of Iran's cargo is transported by sea, calling the security of the shipping industry vital to the national economy.

According to ArzDigital, Deutsche Bank forecasts copper prices will reach about 22,050 dollars per ton by the second quarter of 2027, a roughly 55 percent rise from current levels. In the short term, however, copper is under pressure: the three month contract on the London Metal Exchange fell more than 2 percent over the week ending Thursday, October 1, 2026, closing near 14,243 dollars per ton. Rising oil prices, a stronger US dollar and weaker than expected Chinese data, including a slowdown in industrial profit growth to 4.2 percent in August from 11 percent in July, have weighed on copper in the near term. Deutsche Bank says shrinking visible global copper inventories, which it expects to be about 71 percent concentrated in China and the United States by the end of 2026, will support prices over the longer term.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said early Saturday, October 3, 2026 (11 Mehr 1405), that it had received a report of an incident 4 nautical miles east of Oman. According to Khabaronline, citing IRNA, the master of a crude oil tanker reported that an unidentified projectile struck the vessel's port side. All crew members are reported safe, no environmental impact has been reported so far, and authorities are investigating. UKMTO advised vessels to transit the area with caution and report any suspicious activity. Donya-e-Eqtesad separately reported the same UKMTO notice earlier that morning. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman since Iran-US tensions escalated, including an attack on another tanker in the Strait of Hormuz reported on Thursday, October 1.

US President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday morning (US Eastern time), October 2, 2026 (10 Mehr 1405), while heading to a campaign rally in Alabama, that he was not going to impose a ban on US diesel exports, after saying on Wednesday he was weighing the idea very seriously with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. According to Khabaronline, citing IRNA, Trump declined to detail Washington's next move on Iran when asked. Separately, Al Jazeera reported that G7 nations, under pressure from the Trump administration which had threatened a full US diesel export ban, agreed to release their oil and diesel reserves, a move that eased crude prices. Sahmino's own price data show Brent crude trading near 102.25 dollars a barrel on Saturday morning, October 3 (11 Mehr), down about half a percent from the previous day. The development follows weeks of debate in Washington over the export ban, which intensified in late September as US diesel prices neared a record 6.51 dollars a gallon.

Turkey's Daily Sabah reported on Friday, 10 Mehr 1405 (October 2, 2026) that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said world food prices in September 2026 averaged 136.0 points on its Food Price Index, up from a revised 134.0 in August and the highest reading since November 2022, which FAO attributed to logistics disruptions, including in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea, combined with concerns over the El Nino weather pattern. FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero said a persistent, broad based build up in global commodity prices is underway, as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea combine with climate shocks to pressure energy, transport and key food commodities. FAO's sugar price index rose 6.1 percent from August, a third straight monthly increase, while its cereal index rose 5.1 percent; the meat index eased 1.1 percent. FAO kept its 2026 global cereal production forecast nearly unchanged at 2.979 billion metric tons, 2.1 percent below last year's record and the second largest harvest on record, while cutting its 2026/27 world cereal trade forecast by 0.7 percent.

According to Donya-e-Eqtesad, citing IRNA and Al Jazeera, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Thursday, 9 Mehr 1405 (October 1, 2026), that a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz had been struck by an unidentified projectile and caught fire. UKMTO said the crew's safety had been confirmed, but the extent of damage and any environmental impact remained unclear at the time of the report. The same report said UKMTO had separately received a delayed, third-party report on Tuesday (7 Mehr) about a similar incident that occurred Monday night in the Strait of Hormuz. The organization advised transiting vessels to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity. Separately, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) warned that some charterers were forcing vessels onto unapproved routes, a practice it said raises the risk of financial and human loss and could restrict the vessel's future transit through the strait.

According to Mehr News Agency, citing Reuters, Brent crude futures slipped 3 cents (0.03 percent) to 102.28 dollars a barrel in trading on Friday, 10 Mehr 1405 (October 2, 2026), while US West Texas Intermediate fell 19 cents (0.2 percent) to 92.68 dollars a barrel. Brent, after jumping more than 4 dollars on Thursday, is on track for a roughly 2 percent weekly decline. Reuters reported the oil market is weighing conflicting signals: improving Saudi crude export flows point to better regional supply, while the risk of renewed US-Iran tensions has raised fears of disruption. China's decision to curb oil product exports in October has added to concerns over tightening fuel supply. Separately, the US government has asked Germany and France to release about 120 million barrels from their emergency diesel reserves over six months to ease pressure on the global fuel market. Analysts say the 100 dollar level has become a key psychological threshold for the oil market.

According to TGJU's price tracker, Brent crude rose $1.94, or about 2 percent, from the previous day to $99.96 a barrel on Thursday, October 1, 2026. That is about 4.5 percent below last week's level (Friday, September 25, at $104.66), but roughly 40 percent higher than three months ago and nearly 56 percent higher than a year earlier. In a separate report the same day, Trading Economics put Brent as high as $101.44, attributing the recent rise mainly to China curbing gasoline and jet-fuel exports to preserve domestic stockpiles, alongside ongoing energy-market disruptions linked to the US-Iran war and the war in Ukraine. Swings in global oil prices carry particular weight for Iran, where oil and petrochemical exports are a major part of the economy.

Brent crude futures fell 1.1 percent to $96.92 a barrel in global trading on Thursday, October 1, 2026 (9 Mehr 1405), according to Mehr News Agency. The decline followed data showing an unexpected build in US crude inventories, which eased supply concerns. Donya-e-Eqtesad separately confirmed the downward move, also attributing it to the rise in US stockpiles. Oil price swings carry particular weight for Iran, where petroleum and petrochemical exports form a major part of the economy.

Iran's Customs Administration issued a new circular postponing the requirement that exporters present a purchase certificate from the Iran Mercantile Exchange's (IME) export ring for three strategic products, copper cathode, sponge iron and hot rolled steel sheet. The rule, originally set to take effect October 7, 2026 (15 Mehr 1405), has been delayed to January 20, 2027 (30 Dey 1405), with approval from the Trade Development Organization and the Mining Affairs Deputy of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade. Under the circular, published Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (8 Mehr 1405), all customs offices nationwide must continuously monitor the process and prevent the export of shipments lacking a valid IME purchase certificate. The three month extension gives exporters in the sector room to continue their export plans through the end of autumn and early winter without facing the exchange requirement immediately. The same circular also makes petrochemical product exports subject to the exchange requirement starting Aban 1 (October 23, 2026).

According to EcoIran, on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (8 Mehr 1405), a new JPMorgan estimate led by analyst Natasha Kaneva put Middle East crude oil export flows at 17.5 million barrels a day, or 98 percent of pre war levels. Oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz has also returned to near its late June peak of about 13 million barrels a day, with Saudi Arabia the main driver of the increase; JPMorgan stressed that more tanker traffic through Hormuz does not mean the route's risk has fallen. In a separate estimate, Goldman Sachs said Persian Gulf oil exports, including so called dark flows, reached 23.3 million barrels a day last week and that the global oil market was roughly balanced in September, even as Iran's exports fell and Saudi Arabia's more than doubled. Despite the recovery in supply, Brent crude rose about 0.8 percent on Wednesday to 103.43 dollars a barrel, on track for a third straight monthly gain.

Brent crude fell about $6.15 a barrel (nearly 6 percent) from the prior day on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and held near $96.4 a barrel on Wednesday morning, September 30 (Tehran time), according to TGJU's price feed; Trading Economics corroborated a similar level near $96.3. Brent is now down more than 10 percent from last week's level (Thursday, September 24, at $107.4), reversing its recent multi day rally. Trading Economics attributed the drop mainly to signs of easing Middle East supply disruption: the 10 day average of regional crude exports has recovered to about 17.5 million barrels a day, roughly 98 percent of pre war levels, Saudi Arabia has resumed flows through its East West pipeline at about half capacity, and oil continues moving through the Strait of Hormuz. The US government has also announced plans to release up to 40 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to ease pump prices.

In trading on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 (7 Mehr 1405), Iran's Energy Exchange discovered a price of 111,000 tomans per liter for imported premium gasoline. The figure marks an increase of roughly 24 percent from the exchange's last recorded price for imported premium gasoline, 89,700 tomans per liter on August 16, 2026 (28 Mordad 1405).

The head of Iran's Plan and Budget Organization said on Tuesday, 7 Mehr 1405 (September 29, 2026), that 450,000 billion tomans was owed to wheat farmers under the government's guaranteed purchase program, of which 370,000 billion tomans has been paid so far. According to Mehr News Agency, he said the remaining balance, about 80,000 billion tomans, will be fully settled by the end of next week.

Global oil prices rose for a second straight session on Tuesday, 7 Mehr 1405 (September 29, 2026). According to Mehr News Agency, Brent crude gained 1.6 percent to $106.99 a barrel. Trading Economics reported Brent at $106.29 the same day, up 0.96 percent on the day; by its data, Brent has risen 17.46 percent over the past month and about 61 percent over the past year. Trading Economics said the main driver was continued uncertainty over US-Iran talks and the prospect that no deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz will be reached before November's US midterm elections, though the resumption of flows through Saudi Arabia's roughly 3.5-million-barrel-a-day East-West pipeline capped further gains. Separately, Mehr News Agency, citing OilPrice.com, reported Iran's own light crude priced between $102.85 and $104.75 a barrel in various markets, and Iran's heavy crude between $100.70 and $102.60; that data is published with a lag and reflects the latest figures available from the site.

According to a Codal filing, Holding Sarmaye Iranian said its wholly owned subsidiary, Dizbad Green Power Generation and Development, has built two solar power plants of 10 and 12 megawatts with combined investment of about 8,421 billion rials (roughly 3,547 and 4,874 billion rials respectively) over the past and current fiscal years. The material disclosure, published 6 Mehr 1405 (September 28, 2026), said the 10-megawatt plant came online in the second half of Shahrivar 1405 (September 2026), while the 12-megawatt plant is expected to be operational by mid-Mehr 1405 (early-to-mid October). The company estimated the two plants will generate about 1,269 billion rials in revenue this fiscal year, equal to roughly 85 percent of the subsidiary's and 4 percent of the parent holding's total revenue in the previous fiscal year.

According to a Codal filing, Iran Alumina Company (شاملا) said its board, with the Iran Mercantile Exchange's approval, raised the base selling price of its sodium sulfate product on 5 Mehr 1405 (September 27, 2026) from 180,000 rials to 192,600 rials per kilogram, an increase of about 7 percent. In the Tier-B material disclosure, the company said the product accounted for about 50 percent of its total sales revenue in the previous fiscal year.

Fixa Energy, which operates alongside the Snowa brand, said on Monday, 28 September 2026 (6 Mehr 1405) that it has formally entered the market for small, home and rooftop solar power plants with an investment of more than 3,000 billion tomans. According to the company, this first tranche went into importing equipment and training the technicians needed for 3,000 complete home solar systems. Mehr News Agency and Donya-e-Eqtesad reported the announcement. Under its stated plan, Fixa intends to import 30,000 complete solar kits by the end of the Iranian year and supply and install a total of 150 megawatts of home and rooftop solar capacity, a programme the company says brings its total investment this year, including its other activities, to more than 30,000 billion tomans. Reza Ghavamipour, director of Fixa Energy, said the company's services run from design and equipment supply to installation, maintenance and the sale of the electricity produced, with warranties of up to 10 years and instalment payment options. The move comes as a reliable power supply has become one of the main challenges for households and industry.

According to Mehr News Agency, Iran's Customs Administration issued a circular on Monday, 28 September 2026 (6 Mehr 1405) listing 81 tariff lines of horticultural products that are exempt from the export levy on virtual water. Under the circular, these products are not classed as water-intensive for the purposes of clause (p) of Article 38 of the Seventh Five-Year Development Plan law, and so are not subject to the export levy set by that law. The decision lowers the cost of exporting these horticultural items.

Reza Ansari, deputy minister for general industries at the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, said on Monday, 28 September 2026 (6 Mehr 1405), on the sidelines of an industrial installations exhibition, that under an agreement signed with the Oil Ministry, 750 million litres of diesel are to be stored for the country's industries and mines over Shahrivar, Mehr and Aban (late August to late November). He said daily storage figures are being collected province by province and, if the target is met, the stockpile would cover a significant share of the fuel needs of industries and mines in Azar, Dey and Bahman (late November to mid-February). Ansari said that because of damage to gas supply capacity from the attacks, a significant part of this year's gas capacity may not return, and the country faces a gas shortage more than a power shortage. He also criticised the law on removing barriers to power-sector development, saying electricity price increases over the past year had eroded the competitiveness of a significant part of industry.

Saeed Tavakoli, chief executive of the National Iranian Gas Company, said on a television programme on Monday, 28 September 2026 (6 Mehr 1405) that attacks on four of the country's refineries on 27 Esfand 1404 (18 March 2026) had knocked out 230 million cubic metres of gas production capacity. Although about 100 million cubic metres has since returned, he said that this winter the country faces a 130 million cubic metre shortfall on top of its usual peak-day imbalance of 200 to 250 million cubic metres. Tavakoli said 109 contracts have been signed so far under the "energy service company" (Karvar-e Energy) scheme across agriculture, industry, power plants, the public sector and households, which are expected to save more than one billion cubic metres by the end of the Iranian year; the target is 200 million cubic metres of savings a month for the remaining five months. He added that "savings certificates" can be traded on the Iran Energy Exchange and have so far changed hands at about 74,500 tomans per cubic metre.

Omid Shakeri, chief executive of the National Petrochemical Company, said on Monday, 28 September 2026 (6 Mehr 1405), on the sidelines of the signing of memorandums for the "Energy Pulse" campaign, that about 60 percent of the petrochemical capacity lost in the war has so far been restored and returned to production. He said the damage had hit utilities and some specific processes, and that rebuilding continues at the two main hubs of Asaluyeh and Mahshahr with the aim of bringing back a significant part of the remaining capacity by the end of the Iranian year. Shakeri also warned of feedstock constraints this winter, saying about 230 million cubic metres of the gas industry's processing capacity had been lost and, although part of it has returned, shortages remain. He added that petrochemical exports and the repatriation of their foreign-currency proceeds continue under central bank oversight, though the blockade has created problems for exports.

Hossein Mahdizad, head of the livestock and poultry working group at the Iran Chamber of Commerce, told Mehr News Agency that power cuts and electrical surges inside poultry farms have killed thousands of chickens; in one recent case more than 40,000 birds died and in another, in Hamedan, about 30,000, with producers having no backing to recover the losses. The interview was published on Monday, 6 Mehr 1405 (September 28, 2026). Mahdizad warned that continued losses and a lack of adequate insurance support could reduce output, push up prices and lower quality in the coming months, eventually forcing higher imports. He cited rising input costs and the abrupt removal of the preferential exchange rate as other cost pressures on producers, and said the electronic food coupon had not fully met its goals for protein goods.

US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Sunday, September 27, 2026 (5 Mehr 1405), that he is still looking "very seriously" at banning diesel exports to fight high fuel prices in the United States, adding "we may do it." According to Donya-e-Eqtesad, citing ISNA, the stance runs against efforts by some of his officials to avoid such a step. US retail diesel prices hit a record average of about $6.50 a gallon last week, and US diesel exports reached a weekly record of nearly 2 million barrels a day last month. Lawmakers from farm states have urged export curbs during the autumn harvest, while oil companies have proposed suspending the federal excise tax on diesel instead. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said last week the administration was working with refiners on voluntary export limits. Disrupted fuel flows through the Strait of Hormuz and strikes on Russian refineries are cited as drivers of the global diesel shortfall.

Spot silver fell about 5 percent on Monday, September 28, 2026 (6 Mehr 1405), to around $61 an ounce, its lowest level in seven weeks. Trading Economics put silver at $61.13, down 4.87 percent; FXStreet had it near $61.50 in the European session, down 4.3 percent; and Sahmino's data at 11:30 Tehran time showed $61.14, down 5.1 percent. Spot gold fell about 3 percent over the same period to $4,153. FXStreet said rising US Treasury yields had dented the appeal of precious metals; the 10-year yield had reached 5.23 percent on Friday, a 19-year high. The CME FedWatch tool puts the probability of another Federal Reserve rate hike at the October meeting at about 68 percent. Trading Economics cited stalled US-Iran talks and elevated oil prices as reinforcing expectations of further Fed tightening. Despite an 8.1 percent drop over the past month, silver remains about 30 percent higher than a year ago.

Abbas Asadrouz, managing director of the Iranian Oil Terminals Company, said on Monday, 6 Mehr 1405 (September 28, 2026), that average oil exports from the Kharg terminal during the recent 40-day war ran about 10 percent above the pre-war period. He said 70 million barrels were exported over that time despite 548 strikes on the Kharg terminal, most of them bunker-busting missiles. He added that after the attack on the Tehran oil depot, about 300,000 barrels were added to Kharg's crude intake, so exports also had to rise to avoid disrupting the production and storage chain. Asadrouz described Kharg as the country's largest oil terminal, where about 93 percent of Iran's crude is received, stored and exported. He said 500 million euros had been allocated over the past year or two to renew pipelines, tanks and jetties, and that major overhauls of seven to eight tanks with a combined capacity of 1.5 million barrels, and of Kharg's eastern and western jetties, are now under way.

Ahad Vazifeh, head of the Meteorological Organization's National Center for Climate and Drought Crisis Management, said in an interview published by Khabar Online on Monday, 6 Mehr 1405, that the country is now in its sixth consecutive year of drought. According to him, Tehran received 50 percent less than its expected rainfall last year and has faced a 40 percent shortfall against expected rainfall this year. Vazifeh attributed the rising number of dry years, and the fall in wet years compared with five or six decades ago, to climate change, saying average temperatures in Iran and West Asia are about 2.5 to 3 degrees warmer than in the pre-industrial era and each degree of warming adds roughly 6 to 7 percent to evaporation potential. According to the meteorological official, more than half of Iran's population lives on the central plateau while the region receives only about 25 percent of the country's rainfall, and even normal rainfall cannot make up Tehran's water shortage given the pressure from population, industry and agriculture.

US crude (West Texas Intermediate) traded just above $92 in Asian trading on Monday, 6 Mehr 1405 (September 28, 2026), up more than 0.8 percent after a gap-up open. Brent rose 2.52 percent to about $106.95, according to Trading Economics and Sahmino's own price data as of 8 a.m. Tehran time. According to FXStreet, Donald Trump on Saturday rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week and resume nuclear talks in return for lifting the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, and on Sunday said further military strikes on Iran were possible before the US midterm elections; he also said US negotiators are likely to hold further talks with Iran this week. Continued Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia added support to prices. On the other side, preliminary data from Kpler show crude exports from key West Asian producers rebounded in September to 12.8 million barrels per day, the highest since the Iran war began, while a firmer dollar and expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike in October have capped further gains.

Iran's Supreme Energy Council, in a session chaired by First Vice President Mohammadreza Aref and reported on Sunday, 5 Mehr 1405, reviewed scenarios for managing gas consumption in the residential, commercial, public, industrial, agricultural, transport and power-generation sectors for the four cold months of this year, and approved each sector's share of consumption. The ministers of oil, industry, energy, agriculture and economy and the head of the Plan and Budget Organization attended. Referring to damage to gas infrastructure in the two recent wars, Aref said very good progress had been made in recent months in reducing the energy imbalance and part of the damage had been repaired. He called securing energy for industry and agriculture a baseline for every government manager, asked the public to save electricity and gas as cold weather sets in by mid-autumn, and called for a plan to cut consumption in the residential and government sectors. According to the first vice president, the president holds several expert-level meetings every week on closing part of the energy gap through solar power generation.

US President Donald Trump said, in remarks published early on Monday, 6 Mehr 1405, that in a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he had asked him to reduce attacks on Russia's fuel and energy sector, especially its oil refineries. Speaking on the sidelines of a golf tournament near Chicago, Trump quoted Zelensky as replying: "OK, maybe we will do that." Trump also said the US administration is seriously considering a ban on diesel exports to counter rising prices, acknowledging that such a decision could lead to a limited increase in gasoline prices, although some officials in his administration are examining alternatives. Russian and Ukrainian strikes on each other's energy infrastructure are continuing, and the remarks come as the global oil products market faces a diesel supply shortfall and Brent reached about $107 on Monday morning.

The export office of Iran's Customs Administration told all customs houses in a circular that collection of the 10 percent levy on the freight cost of imported and exported oil and gas liquid cargoes carried by non-Iranian fleets is suspended until the cabinet approves and issues the list of covered items. The decision was reported on Sunday, 5 Mehr 1405 (27 September 2026), citing the Iran Chamber of Commerce. The levy was paid into the Marine Industries Development Fund under the 2008 (1387) Law on the Development and Support of Marine Industries, but the lack of a clear list of covered goods had left its enforcement uncertain. A cabinet resolution of 26 Mehr 1404 (18 October 2025) placed the definition of covered items within the cabinet's authority, and the Business Support Committee, at its meeting on 27 Mordad 1405 (18 August 2026), pressed for a halt to protect exports; the Presidential Deputy for Legal Affairs then ordered Customs to stop collecting it. The move lowers freight costs for exporters of petroleum and gas products.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed on Sunday, 5 Mehr 1405 (27 September 2026) that China has significantly reduced its support for Iran. He said only about 15 million more barrels of Iranian oil are in transit, and that Iran will probably deliver its last oil cargoes to China within the next two weeks, after which it will have "nothing to trade". These figures are the US official's claim and have not been confirmed by Iran or China. Earlier the same day Bessent said US Treasury teams had been sent to several countries to step up economic pressure on Iran. Oil exports to China are Iran's main source of foreign currency revenue, so any change there feeds directly into FX supply and dollar market expectations.

Kambiz Nazerian, chief executive of the Greater Tehran Electricity Distribution Company, said on Sunday, 27 September 2026 (5 Mehr 1405) that 75 percent of Tehran's electricity customers kept their use within the consumption benchmark at the peak of summer heat, 5 percentage points more than last year. He said the higher share is equivalent to the electricity use of about 180,000 households. Nazerian also said more than 900 cryptocurrency mining devices have been identified and seized in Tehran this year, and that a smart motorcycle service fleet will start work in the second half of Mehr (mid-October) to cut service times by up to 50 percent. More than 70 power-industry services are now offered online, he added.

Akbar Fathi, deputy for planning and economic affairs at Iran's Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, said on Sunday, 27 September 2026 (5 Mehr 1405) that 8.5 million tonnes of wheat have been bought under the guaranteed purchase scheme so far, and that 350 trillion tomans of the 420 trillion tomans owed to wheat farmers has been paid. He said the remaining 70 trillion tomans will be paid by the end of Mehr (22 October), with guaranteed purchases continuing until then. The Targeted Subsidies Organization had put total payments at 348.4 trillion tomans on Saturday. On rice, Fathi said domestic output this year reached about 2 million tonnes; of the 1.5 million tonnes that must be imported to cover the shortfall, half has already arrived and the rest is scheduled for the second half of the year. He added that crude cooking oil and red meat imports are proceeding as usual with the central bank allocating foreign currency.

Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in remarks reported early on Sunday, September 27, 2026, citing Al Jazeera and IRNA, that recent escalation has threatened the security of the region's countries and disrupted navigation and trade through the Strait of Hormuz. He added that this disruption directly affects energy security and price stability in global markets. Albusaidi said Muscat will keep working to protect navigation in the Strait of Hormuz under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and that all parties must cooperate to protect the interests of countries that depend on transit through the strait. He urged the parties involved to settle their differences through restraint, dialogue and political solutions. Oman had earlier reached an understanding with Iran on safe shipping lanes through Hormuz.

The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has published a document containing an email of apology from the owners of a ship over an unauthorized transit of the Strait of Hormuz. According to ISNA, reporting early on Sunday, September 27, 2026, the owners wrote that the violation was neither ordered by the owner nor caused by the master's negligence, but resulted from direct instructions by the charterer, who told the master to cross immediately without completing the declaration, approval and transit formalities required under PGSA rules. In the letter, the owners recognize PGSA's jurisdiction over the waters of the Strait of Hormuz and its traffic control rules, and ask that the vessel be removed from the authority's Non-Compliance List. The published document does not name the ship or its flag. The authority had earlier warned shipowners about the conduct of some charterers.

Iran's Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade has told Iran's customs administration that the requirement for exporters of copper cathode, hot-briquetted direct reduced iron and hot-rolled steel sheet to present an Iran Mercantile Exchange export certificate will now take effect on 30 Dey 1405 (January 20, 2027) instead of 15 Mehr 1405 (October 7, 2026). According to Mehr News Agency, which reported the change on Saturday, September 26, 2026, the decision followed letter No. 8723185 dated 28 Shahrivar 1405 (September 19, 2026) from the ministry's deputy for mines and mining industries. Under the notice, copper cathode (tariff code 74031100), hot-briquetted sponge iron (tariff code 72031010) and hot-rolled steel sheet remain subject to the rule; only its start date moves back by about three and a half months. The extension gives copper and steel exporters more time to route their sales through the exchange mechanism.

Kambiz Nazerian, chief executive of the Greater Tehran Electricity Distribution Company, said the number of smart electricity meters installed in the capital has passed one million. Mehr News Agency reported the figure on Saturday, 26 September 2026 (4 Mehr 1405), citing the company, during a visit by managers of the national grid company Tavanir to Tehran's smart power centres. Nazerian said the meters allow customers' electricity use to be monitored online more fully than before, and that most of the company's services are now delivered remotely. Closer monitoring of consumption matters for managing grid load ahead of the winter demand peak.

Vajihollah Jafari, deputy minister for mines and mining industries at Iran's Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, said on Saturday, 26 September 2026 (4 Mehr 1405), that applications for mining exploration licences have resumed on the new platform of the "Cadastre" system, as a pilot in the provinces of Razavi Khorasan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and North Khorasan. He said the process will be rolled out nationwide once the pilot has been completed and evaluated, so that exploration applications are filed and processed through the new system. Jafari said the step is part of the mining sector's strategic plan to organize its digital infrastructure and improve transparency.

Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, deputy energy minister and spokesman for Iran's power industry, said on Saturday, 26 September 2026 (4 Mehr 1405), that rooftop solar capacity has grown from 170 megawatts at the start of the current (14th) government to 650 megawatts, against a target of 5,000 megawatts for these small plants. He said total renewable capacity has risen from 1,250 megawatts at the start of the government to more than 6,000 megawatts, with a plan to reach 12,000 megawatts by the end of the current Iranian year. Rajabi Mashhadi said new rules on aggregators let small producers sell their output on the Iran Energy Exchange's green electricity board. He estimated the cost of building a 5-kilowatt plant at about 350 to 450 million tomans, assuming at most 90 million tomans per kilowatt, and said loans cover up to 80 percent of construction costs.

Hassan Nowruzi, head of Iran's Targeted Subsidies Organization, said another 73.4 trillion tomans owed to wheat farmers under the guaranteed purchase scheme was deposited to their accounts on Saturday, 26 September 2026 (4 Mehr 1405). He said total payments to wheat farmers stood at 275 trillion tomans before this round and have now reached 348.4 trillion tomans. With this round, farmers who delivered wheat to guaranteed purchase centres from the start of the season through 29 June 2026 (8 Tir 1405) have now received 95 percent of what they are owed, those who delivered between 30 June and 10 August (9 Tir to 19 Mordad) 82 percent, and those who delivered between 11 August and 12 September (20 Mordad to 21 Shahrivar) 30 percent. Nowruzi said the remaining payments will follow as funds are secured and allocated.

Isa Bozorgzadeh, spokesman for Iran's water industry, said on Saturday, September 26, 2026 that the bylaw for a water productivity market was approved last week by the government's planning and budget subcommittee and now goes to the main committee and then the full cabinet. He said the process is expected to take about a month. Under the scheme, any citizen, industrial user or farmer who cuts water use or raises water productivity in a way that can be proven and verified could receive a financial benefit in return. Bozorgzadeh said the aim is for water-saving measures to carry economic value on top of their effect on water resources.

Keyvan Tariqati, head of the South Pars Phase 11 development project, said on Saturday, September 26, 2026, according to the Oil Ministry's news site, that drilling, completion and perforation of the phase's twelfth well have been finished successfully and that test flow has begun after the well column was lightened with nitrogen. He said the well's output is being monitored continuously and it is expected to reach its nominal production capacity in the coming days once test flow and acidizing are complete. Phase 11 is the newest development project in the South Pars field shared with Qatar, awarded to Petropars under the new model of oil contracts, and adding output there matters ahead of peak winter gas demand.

Mohammad Allahdad, CEO of Iran's power grid company Tavanir, said on Saturday, September 26, 2026 (4 Mehr 1405) that hydropower plants generated 14.8 billion kWh in the first six months of 1405 (March 21 to September 22, 2026), up 63 percent from the same period a year earlier. Hydro accounted for 6 percent of the country's electricity generation mix over the period. He said 65 MW of new hydro units are scheduled to come online for the 1405 cold season and 270 MW of new hydro capacity before the 1406 summer peak, with Unit 1 of the Khoda Afarin hydropower plant among the priorities. In a separate report the same day, the Energy Ministry said thermal plants generated more than 190 billion kWh from the start of the year to the end of Shahrivar, 110 billion kWh of it from combined cycle units.

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told CNN, in remarks carried by ISNA on Saturday, September 26, 2026, that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is unacceptable and must stop. He said it has had a damaging effect on Persian Gulf states, particularly Qatar, which cannot move its ships out of the region. Al Thani described the strait as a strategic waterway whose insecurity is an international problem, called for coordinated international action, and said the insecurity arose from the US and Israeli war on Iran. Qatar has been one of the mediators passing messages between Tehran and Washington in recent months. Before the war, about a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Abolfazl Motabha, managing director of the Shahid Rajaee power plant in Qazvin, told Khabar Online on Saturday, 26 September 2026, that the plant generated and delivered a total of 6,597,091,000 kWh of net electricity to the national grid from the start of the Iranian year through the end of Shahrivar 1405 (22 September 2026). Of that, he said, 3,057,145,000 kWh came from the plant's nine combined-cycle units and 3,539,946,000 kWh from its four 250-megawatt steam units. The plant has 13 units and helped supply the province and stabilise the national grid during the summer 1405 peak-demand period.

According to Mehr News Agency citing Reuters, Brent crude futures settled on Friday, 25 September 2026 (3 Mehr 1405) down $2.28, or 2.1 percent, at $104.32 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate fell $2.20, or 2.3 percent, to $92.41. Brent ended the week with a gain of less than 1 percent, while WTI posted a weekly loss of about 8 percent. Sahmino's own price data also records Brent at $104.32. Reuters said the main drivers were hopes for a ceasefire between the United States and Iran and speculation about a possible US ban on diesel exports, which has widened the gap between the US benchmark and Brent. Concern over Houthi (Ansarallah) attacks on Saudi Arabia persisted. Initial Kpler tracking estimates put crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz at about 33.7 million barrels a day in the week to 20 September, roughly level with the week before.

Hormozgan Steel Company said it produced 742,384 tonnes of steel slab in the first half of the Iranian year 1405 (21 March to 22 September 2026), beating its previous six-month record by 2,672 tonnes. It is the second consecutive year the company has set a new six-month slab production record. In a message published on Saturday, 26 September 2026, managing director Alireza Rahim attributed the result to the efforts of staff and productivity gains under difficult conditions caused by the forty-day war and production constraints. Slab is a semi-finished steel product used as feedstock for hot- and cold-rolled sheet.

Hamid Bord, managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), told Mehr News Agency on Saturday, 26 September 2026, that recovery of associated petroleum gas (flare gas) has risen from about 5 million cubic metres a day to 15 million, an increase he described as 300 percent. Under contracts signed with the private sector, he said, a further 21 million cubic metres a day is due to be added by the end of the Iranian year (March 2027), bringing the total to 36 million cubic metres a day. Bord added that with the NGL 3100 plant in Dehloran now running, all associated gas in that area is being collected, and that a new project to gather 200 million cubic feet of associated gas will open soon. He also said oil and gas output continues despite wartime conditions, exports are ongoing and petrochemical feedstock is being supplied on time. He asked the public to cut energy use by 10 to 15 percent to get through the winter, since some refineries were damaged in the war.

According to a Boursenews survey of staple prices in Tehran's municipal fruit and produce markets, published on Friday, 3 Mehr 1405 (September 25, 2026), in the week ending 3 Mehr a kilogram of packaged chicken sold for 250,000 to 290,000 tomans, veal loin for 1,790,000 tomans and a side of lamb for 1,530,000 tomans. A 30 egg tray sold for between 260,000 and 530,000 tomans depending on type. The figures come after Iran's National Poultry Farmers Union put the production cost of a kilogram of chicken at about 245,000 to 250,000 tomans on 28 Shahrivar (September 19) and asked farmers not to sell live birds below 200,000 tomans. The Livestock Supply Council also forecast on Friday that red meat supply will reach 55,000 to 60,000 tons a month as autumn begins. Protein prices carry a heavy weight in household spending and are a key driver of food inflation.

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on X on Saturday, 4 Mehr 1405 (September 26, 2026), that its air defenses intercepted one ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward Khamis Mushait and two drones headed toward Riyadh. According to Al Jazeera, the announcement followed reports in Saudi media, citing local sources, of explosions heard in Riyadh and sirens in Abha and Khamis Mushait; Khabar Online, citing air traffic monitoring sites, reported disruption to flights over the Riyadh area lasting more than half an hour. Meanwhile, Rashad al-Alimi, chair of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, on Friday, September 25, in his first speech since government forces were pushed off the western Red Sea coast, called for a general mobilization to join the armed forces and announced an immediate amnesty for Houthi fighters who defect. According to Al Jazeera, the government aims to counter Houthi advances toward the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Brent crude traded at $104.32 a barrel early on Saturday (4:51 a.m. Tehran time), down 0.33 percent.

According to Boursenews, citing Iran Mercantile Exchange financial market data published on Thursday, 2 Mehr 1405 (September 24, 2026), trading in silver bullion certificates of deposit reached 25,545 kilograms in Shahrivar 1405 (August 23 to September 22, 2026), the highest monthly volume since the market launched. The previous record was 24,021 kilograms, set in Khordad 1405. Since silver certificate trading began on 20 Azar 1403 (December 10, 2024) through the end of Shahrivar 1405, more than 203,332,000 certificates, equal to about 203 tons of silver bullion, worth 78.3 thousand billion tomans have changed hands. The surge comes with global silver trading at about $64.3 an ounce early on Saturday, September 26.

According to Boursenews, citing Iran Mercantile Exchange (IME) trading data, about 3,314,000 tons of goods worth more than 141.5 thousand billion tomans changed hands on the exchange's physical market in the week ending 3 Mehr 1405 (September 25, 2026). The top 10 sellers accounted for more than 67.7 thousand billion tomans of that value. National Iranian Copper Industries ranked first, selling 18,400 tons of copper products, sulfur and molybdenum oxide worth 26,808 billion tomans. Mobarakeh Steel came second with 123,780 tons of hot and cold rolled sheet and slab worth 15,276 billion tomans, and Bandar Abbas Oil Refinery was third with 70,000 tons of vacuum bottoms and heavy lube cut worth 4,580 billion tomans. Chadormalu, Tehran Oil Refinery, Isfahan Oil Refinery, Khuzestan Steel, Iralco and Saba Steel of the Persian Gulf completed the top 10. Base metals and petroleum products sold on the IME set the reference price for a large share of Iranian industry's raw materials.

Mansour Pourian, head of Iran's Livestock Supply Council, said in remarks reported by Mehr News Agency on Friday, 3 Mehr 1405 (September 25, 2026), that the supply of live animals to slaughterhouses rises as summer ends and herds move from pastures to sheds. He put market demand for fresh meat at about 50,000 to 60,000 tons a month and current slaughterhouse supply at about 47,000 to 48,000 tons, expected to reach 55,000 to 60,000 tons as autumn begins. He forecast 3.5 million to 4 million head of sheep and goats ready for slaughter in the autumn and said the extra supply should help bring prices down. Pourian put the current price of live male lamb at about 680,000 tomans per kilogram, calves at 575,000 tomans and buffalo at about 500,000 tomans. He said imported frozen beef is sold at 1.3 million tomans per kilogram and frozen mutton at 1.1 million tomans.

Gholamabbas Hosseini, managing director of the South Pars Gas Complex, said in remarks carried by Mehr News Agency citing Iran's Oil Ministry and published on Friday, September 25, 2026, that overhaul work at the complex's refineries has been completed and the complex is ready for maximum, sustained gas processing through the cold months. He said six of the complex's twelve refineries were on this year's maintenance schedule, and that the work was finished on time and in line with safety standards. Hosseini added that a significant share of the work relied on domestic capability, including the complex's central workshop for repairing, rebuilding and manufacturing parts. South Pars is Iran's largest source of gas supply, and its winter readiness directly affects gas curbs on industry and power plants, and in turn output at listed steel, petrochemical and cement producers. Hosseini also stressed the need for consumers to manage gas use on cold days.

According to Mehr News Agency, citing the Energy Ministry, a performance review of Iran's thermal power plants for Mordad and Shahrivar 1405 (roughly July 23 to September 22, 2026) placed the Yazd, Genaveh, Qom, Shirkooh, Shobad, Sanandaj, Semnan-area Samangan, Sarv and Taban combined-cycle plants in the top tier with a generation readiness index of 100%. Among gas-turbine plants, Qods, Zagros, Isin, South Isfahan, Bampur and Ofogh also recorded 100% readiness. Among steam plants, Shahid Rajaee scored 99%, Toos 98%, Shazand 97%, Bisotun 96% and Mashhad 94%, the highest readiness levels in that group. The Energy Ministry said the top-ranked plants will receive a 20% allocation of surplus liquidity. Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, the ministry's deputy for electricity and energy, said plant assessments will continue on the basis of actual performance and field productivity. The review covers the two peak months of summer electricity demand.

Oil prices fell in trading on Friday morning, September 25, 2026 (3 Mehr 1405). According to Mehr News Agency, citing Reuters, Brent traded at $105.236 a barrel, down 1.28%, and US crude at $92.729, down 1.99%, which Mehr attributed to reports of political optimism. Donya-e-Eqtesad also put Brent at $105.73 that morning, and the latest rate on Sahmino's price page as of 11:29 Tehran time that day was $106.19, down 1.17%. According to Al Jazeera, November Brent futures rose more than 3% on Thursday, September 24, after Yemen's Houthis claimed missile and drone attacks on Aramco facilities in Yanbu, topping $108 during the day and settling above $106.50. Saudi authorities have not confirmed any damage or casualties. Mehr reported that despite Friday's decline Brent remains on track for a weekly gain of more than 2%, while US crude is heading for a weekly loss of about 2%.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in interviews with French television that Paris will send troops, radars and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia to protect the Yanbu oil facilities on the Red Sea coast. He said France does not intend to enter the conflict and that protecting the site would help bring down high oil prices; according to Macron, more than five million barrels a day were passing through the route a few weeks ago. The announcement followed claims by Yemen's Houthis on Thursday that they had carried out missile and drone attacks on Aramco facilities in Yanbu and on a "sensitive target" in Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted six ballistic missiles, and Saudi authorities have not commented on any damage. According to Al Jazeera, November Brent futures settled above $106.50 a barrel on Thursday after topping $108 during the day; Brent was trading around $105.6 by 8:00 a.m. Tehran time on Friday, September 25. Yanbu is Saudi Arabia's main outlet for crude exports via the Red Sea, and its importance to global supply has grown as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.

Khabar Online reported on Thursday, September 24, 2026, that approval in principle for a "Non-Government Oil Industry Guarantee Fund" was issued at the 25th session of Iran's National Financing Council, and that the fund will be based on Kish Island. Its 20 shareholders are five commercial banks, 10 Iranian exploration and production companies, the National Development Fund, the National Iranian Oil Company, the Iran Energy Exchange, the Oil Industry Research and Technology Fund and the Kish Free Zone Organization. With priority for the upstream sector, the fund will issue the guarantees the oil and gas industry needs, including payment, tender, performance and advance-payment guarantees, to make collateral and financing easier for oil, gas and petrochemical projects. The fund's founding assembly was formed on February 18, 2026, and the approval in principle moves its licensing and registration into a new stage.

Mashallah Tabe-Jamaat, Iran's deputy energy minister for human capital, research and IT, said on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the opening of an industrial solar inverter factory, that additions to renewable power capacity, once about 100 megawatts a year, have reached about 100 megawatts a week and are set to rise further. He said Iran's power generation capacity grew by about 8 percent over the past year, while peak-time consumption fell by about 3 percent. The deputy minister said the goal is domestic production of panels, inverters and other solar plant equipment, and that the ministry's main support for knowledge-based companies is building a market for them. The news follows the $1 billion allocation from the National Development Fund to SATBA for solar plants, reported earlier in Sahmino's newsroom.

European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said on Thursday, September 24, 2026, that the EU is following reports of a US plan to ban diesel exports "with concern" and has told US officials at the highest levels that it considers such a ban inappropriate. He said no decision has yet been taken in Washington. Another Commission spokesperson, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, said the United States supplied about 50 percent of the EU's diesel imports in August, but that there is currently no specific diesel shortage in the bloc. The EU Oil Coordination Group is due to meet next week. Politico reported on Wednesday, September 23, that the Trump administration was preparing a 90-day ban to lower fuel prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections; the White House denied the report. Khabar Online reported that US diesel futures fell about 5 percent after the news, and US Energy Information Administration data showed distillate stocks fell by 428,000 barrels last week to 107.4 million barrels.

The Saudi-led coalition said on Thursday, September 24, 2026, that it intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles which, it said, Yemen's Houthis had fired toward the city of Taif and the port of Yanbu. Al Jazeera reported that Reuters, citing two Greek security sources, said a Patriot system operated in Saudi Arabia shot down a ballistic missile and a drone in the Yanbu area. The Houthis had not claimed responsibility at the time of the report. Yanbu, on the Red Sea, is the main outlet for Saudi crude when shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, and it hosts major refineries. According to Sahmino's price data, Brent stood at about $107.8 a barrel at 19:30 Tehran time on Thursday, September 24, up nearly 4 percent on the previous day, while WTI traded at about $96.3. Oil prices matter to Iran's economy both through foreign currency revenue and through inflation expectations in the currency and gold markets.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar discussed on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 in New York the sanctions that could be imposed on countries with economic ties to Russia and Iran. The US State Department announced this in a statement, and Jaishankar wrote on X that he had again raised "India's interests and concerns" about the Russia and Iran sanctions law. According to Reuters and IRNA, Trump last week signed the "Lindsey Graham Russia and Iran Sanctions Act of 2026", which requires him within 30 days to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on imports from the five largest buyers of Russian crude oil or gas, or from countries helping Russia evade sanctions. India, which imports about 90 percent of its crude oil needs, is the second-largest buyer of Russian oil after China. The law reaches Iran through the oil market: any new pressure on Asian buyers of Russian and Iranian oil affects demand and prices in the global crude market.

Valiollah Hayati, security and law-enforcement deputy of the Khuzestan governorate, said on the morning of Thursday, September 24, 2026 that a sound heard in parts of Abadan was caused by a technical fault in one of the industrial units of the Abadan refinery. He said technical crews reached the site immediately and are fixing the problem, that the fault will not disrupt gasoline production, and that the production lines are running without interruption. Hayati described the situation at the refinery as under control. The Abadan refinery is one of Iran's largest fuel producers.

Mohsen Tarztalab, deputy energy minister and head of Iran's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA), told Mehr News Agency on Thursday, September 24, 2026 that close to $1 billion from the National Development Fund's foreign-currency resources has been definitively received from the central bank. Of a planned $2.3 billion in total funding, $1.84 billion is the fund's share, and allocation orders have been issued for about $1.5 billion of it, he said. Tarztalab added that close to 1,700 megawatts of the 7,000-megawatt solar power program have come online so far, with the full program expected to be completed by next summer. Permits have also been issued for 100 megawatts of wind power and 500 megawatts of battery storage. He said a guaranteed-purchase directive for domestically made solar panels will be announced next week. The remarks came at the opening of a factory producing industrial solar inverters. Mashallah Tabe-Jamaat, another deputy energy minister, said at the same event that renewable capacity additions have accelerated from about 100 megawatts a year to about 100 megawatts a week, and that Iran's power generation capacity has grown about 8 percent over the past year.

Brent crude returned to around $101 a barrel on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 (1 Mehr 1405), gaining more than 2 percent after five consecutive losing sessions, while West Texas Intermediate rose 1.53 percent to trade around $92. According to ArzDigital, the main driver was a jump in diesel prices and Donald Trump's remarks about possibly restricting US diesel exports to contain domestic prices. EcoIran reported that Brent had earlier slipped to around $98 that day on news of talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, before rising to $102 on Wednesday evening. In Sahmino's data, Brent stood at about $102.3 on Thursday morning, 2 Mehr (08:00 Tehran time). Uncertainty over a formal agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remains the main source of volatility in the oil market.

XRG, the international investment arm of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, is evaluating a potential stake purchase in the Shell led LNG Canada natural gas export project, according to a Bloomberg report carried by Donya-e-Eqtesad on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 (1 Mehr 1405). Sources said the UAE state holding company has opened talks with existing project shareholders, including PetroChina, to acquire part of their stakes, though negotiations have not yet reached a final agreement. The LNG Canada project, with an annual capacity of 14 million tons and an initial investment of about 28.5 billion dollars, currently has Shell holding a 40 percent stake, Malaysia's Petronas 25 percent, PetroChina and Mitsubishi 15 percent each, and Korea Gas 5 percent. The move is part of the UAE's plan to become one of the world's top five gas and petrochemical suppliers; XRG, established in 2024, has previously invested in the Rio Grande project in Texas, gas fields in Argentina, and facilities in Mozambique.

According to IRNA, citing Reuters, Saudi Arabia has resumed operations on the East-West oil pipeline, which carries crude from Abqaiq on the Persian Gulf coast to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. Trade sources told Reuters that Aramco has been preparing since Tuesday, September 22, 2026, to resume oil exports from Yanbu. The pipeline is one of Saudi Arabia's key routes for exporting oil while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry had earlier said the pipeline was struck by several drones launched from Iraqi territory, and satellite imagery reportedly showed fires at six points along its route. Separately, the Financial Times, citing satellite data, reported that Saudi oil production has fallen to its lowest level this calendar year because of threats from Yemeni forces and a declared naval blockade of Saudi exports since late July.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in interviews with NBC News and Fox News, that Washington is ready to hold a meeting with Iranian officials on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, though he stressed that no meeting is currently scheduled. In the same interviews, Rubio claimed the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz has now recovered to roughly 60 to 70 percent of its level before recent tensions and is rising, and said Washington remains committed to its defense obligations toward Saudi Arabia. The remarks came days after the US president said he would welcome a possible meeting with Iran's president on the sidelines of the same assembly. Al Jazeera reported that Rubio, in the same interviews, also criticized some NATO allies for not allowing the use of their military bases for operations against Iran.

According to EcoIran, citing Tasnim and OilPrice.com, US diesel prices set a fresh record last week, crossing 6.50 dollars a gallon, while European fuel prices have also surged sharply. Per the report, published Tuesday, September 22, 2026 (31 Shahrivar 1405), the Wall Street Journal, citing International Energy Agency data, reported that lost Middle East diesel output is three times larger than Russia's export shortfall; Russia has separately extended its diesel export ban through the end of October. In the US, Congressman Tim Burchett has introduced a bill to ban diesel exports, backed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, while Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum oppose it. Wood Mackenzie said global refining capacity, reduced over the past decade by refinery closures in Europe and the US, can no longer absorb simultaneous supply losses from the Middle East and Russia, with part of Persian Gulf refining capacity also damaged in strikes on regional energy infrastructure.

According to Donya-e-Eqtesad, French President Emmanuel Macron sent an official letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling for urgent EU action to rein in and lower energy prices, a report first published by Les Echos and confirmed by the Elysee Palace on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 (31 Shahrivar 1405). Macron asked Brussels to delay new methane emissions rules by at least a year and temporarily ease refinery technical requirements to allow jet fuel and diesel output to rise by up to 20 percent. Citing the Financial Times, the report said the request follows a jump in European gas prices from 27 euros to 80 euros per megawatt hour and oil futures crossing 100 dollars a barrel amid an intensifying Middle East crisis. The European Commission had already delayed enforcement of methane rule penalties by three years, though importers say that does not resolve compliance challenges starting in 2027.

According to EcoIran, citing ISNA, Japan's Kyodo News reported on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 (31 Shahrivar 1405), citing a senior Iranian official, that Tehran has sent a proposal to Washington through intermediaries under which the Strait of Hormuz would reopen within seven days and negotiations would resume if the US takes initial steps to reduce military pressure and end the blockade of Iranian ports. According to Khabar Online, citing Reuters, published the same day, another senior Iranian official said Tehran's formal proposal was delivered to the US side through intermediaries on September 16 (25 Shahrivar), and that Iran's delegation in New York has full authority to discuss reviving diplomacy. Both reports said a bilateral meeting between President Masoud Pezeshkian and President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York will not take place, and that any settlement details would be worked out through intermediaries.

According to the Financial Times, cited by Donya-e-Eqtesad, a jump in US diesel prices to a record 6.51 dollars a gallon, ahead of the US congressional midterm elections, has pushed Republican lawmakers, including Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and fellow Iowa representatives Ashley Hinson and Zach Nunn, to press the Trump administration for an immediate ban on diesel exports. Since the US Iran conflict began in February, US diesel prices have jumped more than 70 percent, the report said. Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, warned that a ban, which would affect roughly 1.5 million barrels of the roughly 8 million barrel a day global seaborne diesel trade, would push global prices higher. The consultancy Rapidan Energy put the odds of the Trump administration announcing an export ban at about 35 percent.

According to the Wall Street Journal, cited by Donya-e-Eqtesad and Khabar Online, the administration of Donald Trump is considering investing 5 billion dollars in a fund called the Partnership for Allied Trust and Construction (PACT). Under the plan, eight countries, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq and Jordan, would add another 5 billion dollars combined, bringing the fund's total to 10 billion dollars. The fund, to be managed by the US Development Finance Corporation, aims to rebuild energy infrastructure, pipelines and refineries, damaged during the seven month war between the United States and Iran, and to reduce the region's energy export dependence on the Strait of Hormuz. Talks on the fund are still underway, and US officials say details and the timing of each country's participation could change. Some regional officials have warned that funding reconstruction before a deal with Tehran is premature, since rebuilt facilities could again become targets.

Iran's National Poultry Farmers Union has asked producers nationwide, starting Saturday, 19 September 2026 (28 Shahrivar 1405), not to sell live chicken for less than 200,000 tomans per kilogram. Habib Asadollahnejad, the union's managing director, told Khabar Online that the current production cost per kilogram of chicken is about 245,000 to 250,000 tomans, while producers are selling at roughly 170,000 to 180,000 tomans (160,000 to 180,000 in some provinces), losing 60,000 to 70,000 tomans per kilogram; the industry's daily losses over the past two to three months have topped 500 to 600 billion tomans. A field survey by ISNA found fresh whole chicken retailing for 280,000 to 340,000 tomans per kilogram. Asadollahnejad said despite the losses, there is no current chicken shortage, since Shahrivar's chick placement of about 139 million birds exceeded the country's estimated monthly need of 115 to 120 million; however, he warned that continued losses could push some producers out of the market within two to three months.

Copper extended its rally on Monday, September 21, 2026 (30 Shahrivar 1405), trading up about 1.8 percent to around 6.74 dollars per pound at the time of writing, its fifth consecutive session of gains. Global gold and silver eased about 0.8 percent and 0.2 percent respectively over the same period. Arzdigital reported that signs of stronger demand from China, combined with supply concerns, have supported copper prices. Several Chinese copper smelters are due to shut for scheduled maintenance in October and November, while congestion at the port of Shanghai has clouded the pace of import arrivals. The Yangshan copper premium, a gauge of Chinese import demand, hit its highest level since November 2022 last week and remains elevated. Rising US copper imports ahead of possible tariffs on refined copper have also tightened supply in other markets. EcoIran separately reported copper prices rising more than 1 percent the same day.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO) said on Monday, September 21, 2026 (30 Shahrivar 1405), that a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified projectile. Two crew members sustained superficial injuries, but the vessel continued under its own power toward its next port of call. UKMTO said no environmental impact has been reported so far and authorities are investigating. The center did not disclose the tanker's name, flag or owner, nor the type or origin of the projectile. The Strait of Hormuz, the main export route for Persian Gulf oil, has seen months of similar scattered incidents, and each new one can weigh on shipping insurance costs and oil market risk premiums.

Oil prices fell in global trading on Monday, September 21, 2026 (30 Shahrivar 1405), hitting their lowest level in more than a week. According to ISNA, carried by Donya e Eqtesad, Brent crude futures fell $2.16, or 2.08 percent, to $101.71 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate fell $2.15, or 2.14 percent, to $98.15 a barrel. Both benchmarks had also fallen on Friday, by 0.91 and 1.58 percent respectively. A Singapore based broker attributed the drop to WTI breaking below the psychological $100 level and to traders rolling positions into the November contract ahead of the October contract's expiry. Citing preliminary data from tracking firm Kepler via Reuters, the report said Saudi Arabia's crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz rose to more than 4 million barrels a day in September, after a strike on Saudi Aramco's East West pipeline had halted some shipments from the port of Yanbu. Exports had fallen to 2.4 million barrels a day in August, their lowest level since at least 2013. JPMorgan analysts said in a note dated September 18 that average oil flows over the prior 10 days were 17.1 million barrels a day, 6.1 million barrels below the 2025 average. Sahmino's own data showed Brent crude down 2.27 percent to $101.56 a barrel as of 11:30 am Monday.

Iran's Supreme Council of Mines changed how state mining royalties are calculated for the first half of 1405, under a directive from Vajihollah Jafari, deputy minister of mines and mining industries at the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade and secretary of the council, reported by EcoIran on Monday, September 21, 2026 (30 Shahrivar 1405). Under the new rule, royalties for mines that were active in the second half of 1404 and reached at least 50 percent of their annual nominal licensed capacity, and are not on the Article 20 mines list, will now be calculated on actual extraction rather than the nominal capacity listed on their operating license. The directive cites economic restrictions and wartime conditions as factors reducing extraction below nominal capacity. For seasonal mines, the operating period set in their approved development plan will be used as the calculation basis.

According to Mehr News, Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance chief Sergey Dankvert met with Vahid Salehi, Iran's deputy agriculture minister and head of the Veterinary Organization, to discuss expanding agricultural trade between the two countries. Citing Russian Federal Customs data presented at the meeting, Russia exported 3.2 million tons of agricultural products worth $1.4 billion to Iran from January to June 2026, mainly corn, barley, wheat, sunflower oil and canola oil. Over the same period, Iran exported 495,700 tons of agricultural products worth $588.9 million to Russia, including fresh peppers, lettuce, pistachios and kiwis. The Russian side said greater Iranian fishery exports to Russia would depend on Iran meeting Russian veterinary and phytosanitary requirements.

Overhaul work on phases 20 and 21 of Pars Jonoubi Gas Complex's Phase 8 refinery, which began with the shutdown of phase 20 at dawn on September 7, 2026 (16 Shahrivar 1405), was completed in a total of 9 days (4.5 days per phase), down from 15 days per phase last year, a cut of about 70 percent. Mehr News, citing the Ministry of Petroleum, quoted Hadi Chabok, the Phase 8 refinery's manager, as saying the fourth gas train was brought online on September 15 (24 Shahrivar) and the refinery returned fully to production ahead of schedule. Around 658 specialist and operational personnel worked a combined roughly 71,000 person hours on the project, which aimed to boost equipment reliability and readiness for the cold season, and was completed without incident.

Following a missile and drone attack by Yemeni armed forces on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, which media reports said struck two Aramco fuel tanks north of the airport and one of its cargo buildings, Yemen's Foreign Ministry on Saturday, September 20, 2026 (29 Shahrivar 1405), called on the international community to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for what it called ISIS-style criminal acts in Yemen. According to EcoIran, citing Tabnak, Hizam al-Asad, a member of Ansarallah's political bureau, said the same day that bigger attacks are coming, accusing Saudi Arabia of crossing a line with a blockade, aggression and ISIS-style attacks on Yemenis. Media had also reported flights halted at Riyadh airport on Friday after a Yemeni suicide drone struck the facility.