Iran Conflict Brief: What It Will Take to Open Up the Strait of Hormuz

Iran Conflict Brief: What It Will Take to Open Up the Strait of Hormuz

In energy markets, all eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz. As of March 11, 2026, this vital passage is effectively closed to tanker traffic, stranding almost a fifth of world supplies of crude oil, oil products, and liquefied natural gas.

Yesterday, oil prices retreated sharply on a tweet from US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, claiming that the US Navy had escorted a tanker through Hormuz. That tweet was retracted, and was followed by reports that US intelligence had detected signs Iran had begun placing mines in the Strait.

To help sort through the quickly-changing events in the Middle East and dig into how they impact energy security, we are launching a new, limited series of the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast: the Iran Conflict Brief. To kick off the series, Daniel Sternoff, a senior fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy, speaks with Mike Knights about what needs to happen in order for oil and gas flows to resume through the Strait of Hormuz.

Mike is an expert on Gulf and Middle East security and leads research at Horizon Engage, a strategic advisory firm. For over 20 years he has advised operators and investors in the region of political and security risks. He is also an adjunct fellow at the Washington Institute for NearEast Policy, where he co-founded the Militia Spotlight, focused on Iran-backed proxies.

Credits: Hosted by Daniel Sternoff. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc

Episoder(100)

How the Iran Conflict Is Reshaping Russia and China's Energy Security

How the Iran Conflict Is Reshaping Russia and China's Energy Security

Since the US-Israeli bombing campaign began in Iran, energy markets around the world have been on edge as the conflict threatens immediate and long-term energy supplies. We've seen major disruptions t...

10 Mar 59min

The Widening Middle East Conflict and Its Impact on Energy

The Widening Middle East Conflict and Its Impact on Energy

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a campaign against Iran targeting military infrastructure and the regime's core leadership. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several seni...

3 Mar 55min

Supreme Court's Tariff Ruling: What It Means for Energy

Supreme Court's Tariff Ruling: What It Means for Energy

President Trump has aggressively used tariffs as an economic tool, but a US Supreme Court decision on Friday struck down his sweeping tariffs, bringing new uncertainty. The court, in a 6-to-3 decision...

24 Feb 50min

Alex Fitzsimmons on the DOE's 'Energy Dominance' Agenda

Alex Fitzsimmons on the DOE's 'Energy Dominance' Agenda

Under the second Trump administration, the US Department of Energy significantly shifted its priorities to align with its "energy dominance" agenda. But one significant point of continuity with the Bi...

17 Feb 54min

Laura Holgate on the Promise and Perils of Nuclear Innovation

Laura Holgate on the Promise and Perils of Nuclear Innovation

The Trump administration has prioritized nuclear energy expansion, aiming to increase US nuclear capacity fourfold by 2050. This nuclear energy resurgence in the US is a rare issue with bipartisan sup...

10 Feb 51min

Jigar Shah Wants to Depoliticize Energy

Jigar Shah Wants to Depoliticize Energy

As political support for clean energy has waxed and waned over the past twenty years, so has the government's financial backing. In the 2010s, critics pointed to the failed solar startup Solyndra, whi...

3 Feb 1h 2min

Michael Webber on What's Behind Rising Energy Costs

Michael Webber on What's Behind Rising Energy Costs

With electricity prices on the rise, the future of our power grid is attracting a lot more attention. Surging demand is at the center of the story, but the power sector is also grappling with supply c...

27 Jan 1h

Reporters' Roundtable: What's Driving US Energy Policy News in 2026?

Reporters' Roundtable: What's Driving US Energy Policy News in 2026?

From the affordability crisis and the data center boom, to the US government's campaign to reinvigorate the Venezuelan oil market, energy is dominating headlines in unusual ways.  And that's all happe...

20 Jan 49min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
dine-penger-pengeradet
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
pengepodden-2
pengesnakk
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
rss-politisk-preik
utbytte
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
finansredaksjonen
lederpodden
stormkast-med-valebrokk-stordalen
rss-markedspuls-2
liberal-halvtime
rss-sunn-okonomi
rss-pa-konto