Trump Claims Direct Iran Talks as $100 Oil Surge Deepens Yemen War Pressure
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Sep 17
Trump Claims Direct Iran Talks as $100 Oil Surge Deepens Yemen War Pressure
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Sep 17
Summary
Trump said the US is “hopefully toward the end” of the war with Iran and claimed he has spoken with Iranian officials directly, a potentially significant shift from mediation through Qatar, Pakistan and Oman.
Tehran has not confirmed any renewed direct channel, and senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei said a day earlier there would be no talks until US meets Iran’s conditions under the June deal.
The diplomatic opening is being tested by a widening Yemen conflict and an effective Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil and gas passes; oil topped $100 a barrel last week.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Pakistan’s army chief and met China’s Wang Yi in Beijing, while Trump is expected to meet Gulf leaders at next week’s UN General Assembly.
Separate Muscat talks between US officials and Yemen’s Houthis suggest parallel efforts to contain maritime escalation after a Pakistan-brokered MoU collapsed last month.
Could a former Iranian military hardliner actually be the unexpected key to unlocking a historic peace deal with Washington?
With Hormuz choked off, is the claimed peace breakthrough real or a mirage masking a global energy collapse?
Why are Houthi rebels suddenly sparing American and Israeli ships while strictly strangling Saudi vessels in the Red Sea?
The September 2026 Oil Shock: Chokepoint Blockades, Economic Fallout, and the New Geopolitical Divide
Overview
In 2026, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels declared a full naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and compounding restrictions at the Strait of Hormuz. This dual-chokepoint crisis triggered panic in global energy markets, causing oil prices to spike and disrupting vital shipping routes. Fear of attacks made shipowners and insurers avoid the Red Sea, forcing tankers to turn back and undermining Saudi Arabia’s export workarounds. The resulting supply shock rippled through the world economy, driving up fuel and food prices, straining Asian economies, and exposing the limits of traditional military and financial responses. The crisis revealed deep fractures in global alliances and highlighted the urgent need for new strategies to secure energy flows and stabilize markets.