Iran and Oman are finalizing an agreement to establish a commercial shipping corridor in the Strait of Hormuz to stabilize maritime traffic, though full passage remains restricted. Meanwhile, Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev suggested Nord Stream gas transit to Germany could resume with AfD cooperation, while retail fuel prices in Armenia remain stable.
Global market
Iran and Oman have nearly finalized an agreement on a commercial shipping corridor in the Strait of Hormuz, announced Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. However, Iranian officials emphasized the agreement will not fully reopen the waterway. As maritime tension persists following the Houthi seizure of Perim Island and attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, tanker freight rates surpassed $1 million per day. In global shipping logistics, the Drewry World Container Index increased 1% week-on-week, reflecting ongoing cost pressure on international freight networks.
Russia & CIS
Russian natural gas deliveries to Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline could resume through joint efforts with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, stated Kirill Dmitriev, Chief Executive Officer of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). In emergency energy assistance, Switzerland delivered 30 diesel generators to Ukraine after Sergey Beskrestnov, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, urged residents to secure backup power. Meanwhile, extensive power grid failures disrupted regional energy supply: over 178,000 subscribers lost electricity in Odessa Region due to equipment damage, while an emergency in the DPR power grid triggered blackouts in the LPR.
Armenia
Negotiations between Tehran and Muscat on a Hormuz maritime corridor reduce systemic transit risks for energy importers in the South Caucasus. Despite regional logistics friction and power grid failures in neighboring CIS areas, retail prices for petrol, diesel, and compressed natural gas in Armenia remain stable. Supply continuity across the republic is maintained through long-term trade agreements under the EAEU, protecting the domestic market from price volatility recorded by international market price assessments.