US President Donald Trump suggested Iran was behind the drone attack that halted Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, escalating geopolitical tensions across the Middle East. Meanwhile, an environmental disaster emerged in the Strait of Hormuz following US military strikes, while US diesel prices surged 60% year-on-year, placing heavy pressure on consumer goods prices.
Global market
US President Donald Trump stated Iran was likely responsible for the attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, which forced a complete shutdown of crude transit across the kingdom. Tensions worsened in maritime transit routes after a massive oil slick of up to 400 square kilometers formed in the Strait of Hormuz following US military strikes, with German publication Spiegel identifying the tanker Riesco as the probable source. In North America, US diesel prices jumped 60% year-on-year, directly inflating logistics and consumer product costs, according to Axios. In Europe, French politician Florian Philippot called for lifting anti-Russian sanctions, exiting the European Union, and developing offshore oil fields near French Guiana to lower energy costs.
Russia & CIS
Rosatom returned 47 nuclear specialists to Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant to perform scheduled maintenance on Unit 1, with plans to increase staff to 150 personnel, announced Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev. The state corporation also expressed intent to partner with India on 4th-generation nuclear technology and scheduled startup operations for Kudankulam NPP Unit 3 for February-March 2027. In regional energy security, Zaporizhzhia NPP Director Yuri Chernichuk accused Ukraine of deliberately triggering plant blackouts for psychological pressure. Meanwhile, Russian energy experts concluded that commercial crude extraction from Siberia’s tight Bazhenov formation is becoming technologically feasible and potentially profitable.
Armenia
Rosatom returned 47 specialists to Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant for maintenance, Sputnik Armenia reported, highlighting nuclear infrastructure developments near the region. Meanwhile, news.am cited White House statements pointing to Iranian involvement in the Saudi pipeline shutdown, alongside Axios data showing US diesel prices rising 60% over the past year. Despite severe international logistics disruption and soaring global diesel costs, domestic retail prices for petrol, diesel, and natural gas in Armenia remain stable. Supply security is preserved under long-term bilateral trade agreements within the EAEU, protecting domestic consumers from volatile international market price assessments.