More threats
** As crude oil prices rose again, Iran threatened on Monday to retaliate against any new U.S. attacks on its assets, warning that the energy production chain in the region was “sprawling, accessible and exposed” and that U.S. oil and gas companies there shared that exposure.
Strait
** On Sunday, senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei said Iran would announce plans for a new restricted zone in the Gulf in the coming days, and that it would soon approve maps of a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil flow
** The White House is claiming success in forcing open the world’s most important energy chokepoint, which handled 20 million barrels of crude and oil products each day before the Iran war. There’s not enough information to know precisely now — but more data will emerge that will better reveal how much oil movements have recently risen.
Oil prices
** The prices of crudes from Canada, South America, and Africa have jumped in recent weeks as Chinese oil import demand is rising from a decade-low, benchmark prices rally, and Middle East supply remains disrupted.
Russian refineries
** Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Ukrainian drone attacks on targets in Russia. A refinery in Ryazan region was damaged, he said. Refineries in Perm region and the Republic of Tatarstan were also targeted, he said. Targets in Kursk region and in the Black Sea were also attacked, he added.
US energy developments
** The United States is set to release another 39 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve under the joint OECD plan. This would bring down the level of crude in the reserve to 243 million barrels, Reuters reported. The generally accepted operational minimum for oil in the SPR is between 250 and 300 million barrels, below which the reserve may find it difficult to pump and process oil efficiently.
** The U.S. clean power pipeline reached a record 205 GW in the second quarter of 2026, per a new report from the American Clean Power Association, although federal permitting and review delays continue to threaten future development, especially land-based wind projects.
** Tesla customers in Austin, Texas, can now book rides in a driverless Cybercab that has no steering wheel or pedals. While the initial fleet size is limited, the Cybercab’s official commercial launch marks the beginning of CEO Elon Musk’s vision for an autonomous future.
** Rhode Island, Delaware, and Massachusetts are the three most natural gas-dependent states in the U.S., where the fossil fuel – a potent source of climate-warming pollution – makes up the highest percentage of their electricity generation portfolios, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
** The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is accepting comments on the potential environmental impacts of the Texas Gateway Project which would consist of the construction of a 154-mile pipeline traveling along the Texas-Louisiana border, modifications to existing compressor stations, and the construction of a new compressor station in Cleveland, Texas. FERC is accepting comments on the project’s potential impacts until September 24, 2026.
