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Some Gulf states signal they aren't opposed to paying fees in Hormuz, sources say Submitted by Sean Mathews on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 21:07 Gulf states are more wary of Iranian control in Hormuz than financial payments, as Trump ups his demand for investments Ships are docked along a pier at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in the Sharjah emirate, along the Gulf of Oman, on 14 July 2026 (AFP) Off Some Arab Gulf States have suggested to the US and European countries that they are not opposed to paying a fee in the Strait of Hormuz, but reject Iranian control of the waterway, multiple US and regional officials have told Middle East Eye. The difference between the two positions is a nuanced one, officials briefed on the matter told MEE, but it is important as fighting flares between the US and Iran again. US President Donald Trump is also signalling he expects economic compensation for the US providing security in the waterway. “For some Gulf states, a toll doesn’t really matter. Financially, it is negligible to their bottom line. They want stability,” one US official told MEE. “What the Gulf doesn’t want is Iran to have veto power over who can exit and enter the strait. They don’t want Iran to be able to flip a switch. The toll or payment is insignificant,” a separate official in the region told MEE. The signals Gulf states have quietly sent to multiple western capitals could explain why US President Donald Trump has resurrected the idea of charging to provide security in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump on Monday called for the US to collect a 20 percent fee for serving as the “guardian” of the Strait of Hormuz. He said the US’s Gulf partners, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, should pay the fee for security. But Trump's remarks contrasted sharply with those of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the same day, who said that "no country is allowed to charge tolls or fees" in international waterways. UAE and other Gulf officials have publicly rejected Iran's attempts to impose transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz. Investments, not fees Trump walked back his claim on Tuesday, saying that in lieu of a fee, he expected Gulf states to invest more money in the US. “Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20 percent United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. But even Trump’s flip does not separate the concept of the US extracting an economic benefit from Gulf states in exchange for handling the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. For example, Trump did not say that Asian countries, which import Gulf energy, or Greek shipowners, who play a major role in shipping, should make investments in the US. Exclusive: Syria, Iraq and US plan to unveil Mediterranean pipeline deal to bypass Strait of Hormuz Read More » Referring to the Gulf states, Trump said on Tuesday: “I spoke to all of them, and they would love to invest more money in the United States at record amounts, and that would be very acceptable”. “This way, there's no fee. I don't like the concept of a fee, but at the same time, it's not fair that we're protecting this strait for the entire world, for China and everyone. I don't mind protecting it for China. I don't mind protecting it for anybody. But it's unfair that we're not, in some way, compensated,” Trump told the press during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House. Trump’s comments appear to suggest that Gulf states are willing to pay an economic premium for stability in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s efforts to establish a service fee in the waterway have been hamstrung in recent weeks by Oman’s willingness to allow vessels to transit its territorial waters without consulting Iran. Multiple US and regional officials told MEE that Muscat has been under intense pressure to distance itself from Iran’s service fee plans. Iran has responded by attacking Qatari, Emirati and Saudi vessels in Oman’s waters. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, countries can stake a claim up to 12 nautical miles for their territorial waters. The Strait of Hormuz is just 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest point. Oman and Iran are its only two littoral states. Some legal experts have told MEE that if Oman and Iran worked together, they could establish a legal reasoning to charge “piloting fees” or “fees for service” in the waterway. Oman’s move to allow vessels to transit freely robs Iran of that legal rationale. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Economic · Economic

U. S. stocks ended higher as softer June inflation data and strong bank earnings lifted sentiment despite escalating Middle East tensions. Nasdaq outperformed on chip gains, while JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs advanced on robust results. IBM fell on weak revenue guidance, and markets scaled back expectations of a near-term Federal Reserve rate hike.

Economic · Economic

US consumer inflation slowed more than expected in June as energy prices retreated, but the moderation was insufficient to convince financial markets to take an interest-rate increase from the Federal Reserve this year off the table against the backdrop of renewed conflict in the Middle East. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the Labour Department on Tuesday also showed underlying inflation subsiding last month amid declines in the costs of motor vehicle insurance, communication, apparel,...

Economic · Economic

Central bank chief says he would have ‘no tolerance’ for persistently elevated price growth

Economic · Economic

Brazil registered zero direct oil exports to Israel in 2025 in victory for boycott campaign Brazil registered zero direct oil exports to Israel in 2025, with campaigners claiming it as a victory for the boycott campaign. According to the 2026 Statistical Yearbook of the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) released at the end of June, Brazil did not export oil directly to Israel in 2025. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement said the move was a result of pressure applied on the Brazilian government and corporations. "We welcome the end of direct exports as a concrete step to reduce complicity, and as a sign that grassroots and trade union pressure can bring Brazil to recognize its international obligations," they wrote on social media. However, they noticed that while "the direct route" was closed, "the back door isn't. "One step at a time - our pressure continues," they said. Read more: Brazil registered zero direct oil exports to Israel in 2025 in victory for boycott campaign Brazilians and Palestinians arrive from Gaza arrive at Brasilia Air Base on 13 November, 2023 (AFP/Evaristo Sa)

Economic · Economic

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh gives his opening remarks before questioning from members of the House Financial Services Committee. (Source: Bloomberg)

Economic · Economic

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh said policymakers at the central bank have no tolerance for high inflation during remarks to the House Financial Services Committee. (Source: Bloomberg)

Economic · Economic

US consumer prices declined in June for the first time in six years and a key gauge of underlying inflation was little changed, taking some pressure off the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. Frances Donald, Chief Economist at RBC Capital Markets, reacts to June CPI. (Source: Bloomberg)

Economic · Economic

The US consumer price index fell 0.4% in June, dragged down by the biggest decline in gasoline prices since 2022, taking some pressure off the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. Tiffany Wilding, economist at Pimco, examines the data on “Bloomberg Surveillance. ” (Source: Bloomberg)

Economic · Economic

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh said, “The members of our committee have no tolerance for persistently elevated inflation,” as part of testimony he’s scheduled to deliver to the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday morning. Michael McKee reports on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)

Economic · Economic

The European Union is prepared to introduce emergency measures to combat China’s extraordinary export surge as new figures showed the trade gap had widened dramatically, its top trade enforcer said on Tuesday. Safeguard measures that permit tariffs and quotas to be enforced to combat sudden import surges may “become legitimate on a case-by-case basis”, Denis Redonnet told the European Parliament’s trade committee. Redonnet, the EU’s deputy director general for trade, added that the bloc had...

Economic · Economic

US Treasuries surged as traders pulled back from bets on Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes after consumer prices data came in lower than forecast.

Economic · Economic

Brazil registered zero direct oil exports to Israel in 2025 in victory for boycott campaign Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 12:17 Campaigners hail new figures on direct oil exports but point out more is needed to prevent third party sales Brazilians and Palestinians arrive from Gaza arrive at Brasilia Air Base on 13 November, 2023 (AFP/Evaristo Sa) Off Brazil registered zero direct oil exports to Israel in 2025, with campaigners claiming it as a victory for the boycott campaign. According to the 2026 Statistical Yearbook of the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) released at the end of June, Brazil did not export oil directly to Israel in 2025. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement said the move was a result of pressure applied on the Brazilian government and corporations. "We welcome the end of direct exports as a concrete step to reduce complicity, and as a sign that grassroots and trade union pressure can bring Brazil to recognize its international obligations," they wrote on social media. However, they noticed that while "the direct route" was closed, "the back door isn't. " "One step at a time - our pressure continues," they said. According to clean energy campaign group Oil Change International, until mid-2024 Brazil was still the fifth most important provider of crude oil to Israel, supplying 9 percent of the country's crude imports. Israeli foreign minister lobbies US state lawmakers to fight BDS Read More » In February 2024, Israel declared Brazilian President Lula “persona non grata”, after he accused it of genocide and compared its actions to the Nazi extermination of Jews. But in 2024, amid such tensions, Brazil quietly became the fourth largest exporter of crude oil to Israel, accounting for nine percent of its imports, according to a report by Oil Change International. Petrobras, Brazil’s state-owned petroleum giant, has repeatedly insisted that it has not directly delivered crude shipments to Israel, saying it has only sold to foreign refineries and that it has no control over the final destination of the resulting refined products. In May 2025, two of Brazil’s largest oil worker federations wrote to the government, citing Lula’s increasing criticism of Israel and urging an embargo. They received no reply. In July 2025, Brasilia announced it was formally backing South Africa in its genocide case against Israel. It has also recalled its ambassador to Israel. "If Brazilian oil reaches Israel through re-exports by third countries, Brazil's international responsibility stands," wrote the BDS Movement. "Under international law, a state's responsibility is determined by its knowledge and its material contribution to the supply, not by the route the shipment takes. " Boycott News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Economic · Economic

Traders rein in bets on Fed rate rises as easing energy costs help tame price surges spurred by Middle East war

Economic · Economic

Medical provider Oncoclinicas announced an agreement with part of its creditors for an out-of-court restructuring of 5.1 billion reais ($993 million) of debt, the latest of a string of Brazilian companies to seek an overhaul amid the pressure of double-digit interest rates.

Economic · Economic

US consumer prices declined in June for the first time in six years and a key gauge of underlying inflation was little changed, taking some pressure off the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.

Economic · Economic

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh said policymakers at the central bank have no tolerance for high inflation, reiterating a vow to tame price growth that has been elevated for five years.

Economic · Economic

Brent climbs above $87 a barrel after President Trump reimposed the naval blockade of Iranian ships. Markets await the latest US inflation data ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's testimony before Congress. Plus, five of the six largest US lenders report earnings before the opening bell. Abigail Watt of UBS previews CPI and Chair Warsh's testimony. Saul Martinez of HSBC looks ahead to bank earnings. (Source: Bloomberg)

Economic · Economic

US stocks held steady before the bell on Tuesday as investors awaited inflation data and Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh’s testimony, while also assessing hostilities in the Middle East and a slate of corporate earnings.

Economic · Economic

Loss of faith in central banks could be driving up long-run inflation expectations

Economic · Economic

Following a spike in oil prices and hawkish commentary from Fed officials, traders see a nearly 50% chance of a July rate hike.

Economic · Economic

Oil-product shipments from India are on track to climb to their highest level since September as refiners cash in on robust profit margins after a Russian export ban and hostilities in the Middle East tightened supplies.

Economic · Economic

China’s central bank said it’s boosting longer-term liquidity injections through outright reverse repurchase agreements, a move expected to help companies and individuals handle upcoming tax payments and to sustain demand for debt issuance.

Economic · Economic

President Donald Trump reinstated the US blockade of Iranian ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and demanded a 20% reimbursement for all other cargo shipped through the waterway. US stocks steadied as traders refrained from making big bets ahead of a jam-packed day that will see the unofficial start of the earnings season, along with testimony from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh and US inflation data. Higher crude prices kept bets on a July US interest rate increase in place, with swap markets signaling a chance of a hike when the Federal Reserve meets later this month. The Opening Trade has everything you need to know as markets open across Europe. With analysis you won't find anywhere else, we break down the biggest stories of the day and speak to top guests who have skin in the game. Hosted by Anna Edwards and Tom Mackenzie. (Source: Bloomberg)

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The ban also restricts exports of mercury and cyanide to Sudan, chemicals widely used in gold mining.

Economic · Economic

Traders boosted wagers on Bank of England and European Central Bank interest-rate hikes after surging oil prices reignited inflation fears.

Economic · Economic

Wall Street strategists expect a group of senior academics and former policymakers assembled by Chairman Kevin Warsh to review the Federal Reserve’s $6.7 trillion balance sheet will face a difficult balancing act: shrinking the central bank’s holdings without destabilizing funding markets.

Economic · Economic

Christopher Waller says a further elevated reading may prompt central bank to tighten policy

Economic · Economic

Most European Union countries on Monday called for the bloc to put forward a proposal on banning the import of products from Israeli settlements, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. “The option that got the most support was banning the trade with the illegal settlements,” Kallas said after a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers. “We tasked ambassadors to take this work forward and also ministers agreed that, if necessary, we can also reconvene an extraordinary meeting,” she...

Economic · Economic

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said policymakers may need to raise rates in the near term if underlying inflation continues to signal broad price pressures.