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US negotiators in Switzerland dispute Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed.

On Sunday, the United States and Iran will begin 'peace talks' in Switzerland. U.S. officials have disputed Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz is closed. Iranian state media reported that high-level Iranian officials arrived in Switzerland to hold peace talks with the U.S. The U.S. and Iran had agreed on a 60-day truce while negotiations are taking place. However, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, despite the U.S. Military stating that commercial vessels have continued to operate in the waterway. These developments could complicate negotiations between the two sides to implement an...

Fossil Fuels

US negotiators in Switzerland dispute Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed.

On Sunday, the United States and Iran will begin peace talks in Switzerland. U.S. officials have disputed Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz is closed. Iran's state-run media reported that a high-level Iranian delegation had arrived in Switzerland to begin peace talks with the U.S. JD Vance, U.S. vice president, left Washington on Saturday for meetings Pakistan has said will start Sunday. The U.S. and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire for 60 days while negotiations are taking place. However, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed on Saturday, despite the U.S. Military...

Fossil Fuels

Israeli strikes continue after ceasefire, US and Iran envoys to meet

Axios reported that the personal envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran's Foreign Minister were heading to Switzerland to hold talks. However, Axios also noted that Israel's deadly strikes in Lebanon on Sunday could be a test for a new ceasefire to end the Iran War. The talks led by Steve 'Witkoff' and Abbas Araqchi are an attempt to transform a 14-point interim pact that was signed this week into a regional agreement to end the war between Israel and the United States, which began on February 28. Lebanese media reported that Israeli drones and air strikes killed at...

Fossil Fuels

After US-Iran talks in Switzerland were scrapped, a ceasefire was agreed on Lebanon

Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon on Friday, after an escalation of fighting in Lebanon threatened the chance that an interim deal on ending the Iran war would become a lasting Middle East Peace Deal. U.S. and Iran talks scheduled for Friday in Switzerland were canceled as fighting flared up in Lebanon. This created new uncertainty about the timing of negotiations crucial to reopening the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping. According to a senior U.S. government official, a ceasefire will be in effect at around 4 pm Lebanon time (1300 GMT). The official added that the...

Oil & Gas

CORRECTED: The ceasefire in Lebanon agreed upon after US-Iran talks were cancelled

Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon on Friday, after an escalation of fighting in Lebanon threatened the chance that an interim deal to end the war in Iran would become a lasting Middle East Peace Deal. U.S. - Iran talks?in Switzerland scheduled for Friday have been cancelled due to the fighting in?Lebanon. This has created new uncertainty regarding the timing of the negotiations crucial to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened to global shipping. Just before 4 pm, Lebanon time (1300 GMT), a senior U.S. government official announced that a ceasefire was to be implemented...

Oil & Gas

Greylock withdraws from steering committee of Venezuela creditor group, sources claim

Greylock Capital is withdrawing from its "steering" committee role on the Venezuela Creditor Committee, but will still remain a part of the larger group, according to two sources. This move may be seen as an early indication of tension within the group as they wait for Venezuela's financial adviser, Centerview Partners to provide a report on debt sustainability later this month, ahead of what could be one of the largest and most complex debt restructurings undertaken. Analysts estimate that the?government and Petroleos de Venezuela's (PDVSA), which is Venezuela's state oil company, have about $60 billion in?bonds currently in default. Once...

Fossil Fuels

Are there any sanctions against Iran?

The interim agreement to end the Iran War will include a waiver of sanctioned oil sale but the country is still faced with a complex web?of international restrictions on its trade and activities. Since decades, sanctions, trade embargoes, and asset freezings have been imposed on Iran by the United Nations, the United States of America, the European Union, and other countries over its nuclear program, human rights record, and support for groups in the region. Iran is hoping to get further sanctions relief through discussions on its nuclear program as the next phase of the interim agreement unfolds. Here are...

Oil & Gas

Trump suggests that Netanyahu could be a'softer hand' in Lebanon

Donald 'Trump' said on Wednesday, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could use "softer touches" in his fight against Hezbollah militants. This is the latest public rebuke from the U.S. President to his partner in war on Iran. Trump said to reporters at the end of the G7 summit on Wednesday that Netanyahu is a good person, but he gets a bit 'excited' sometimes. According to U.S. officials and Israelis, the Israeli leader convinced Trump to go to war with Iran and participated in attacks launched on 28 February. Netanyahu 'insisted that Israel was not bound by any U.S.Iran agreement...

Oil & Gas Refining

US official: Parties can still withdraw from Iran deal; sequencing will be key

A senior U.S. government official told reporters that both Iran and the U.S. could walk away from the memorandum they were set to sign on Friday. Future 'talks' will likely?focus? on the exact sequencing of the steps outlined in the preliminary agreement, the official said. The official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity read out the 14 point memorandum which is to be signed in Switzerland. The official said that upcoming meetings in Switzerland will be "critical" to ensuring the memorandum can develop into a comprehensive agreement. A senior U.S. government official stated that the meeting in Switzerland would...

Oil & Gas Refining

IG4 negocia o controle da Raizen com Moelis e Journey

O banco ?de investimentos independente Moelis & Company e ?a consultoria financeira Journey Capital, assessores dos credores ?da produtora de ?acucar e ?etanol Raizen, receberam ?ofertas nao vinculantes da gestora de private equity IG4 na noite de segunda-feira para adquirir creditos e o controle da empresa, de acordo com tres pessoas familiarizadas com ?o assunto. Duas delas, entretanto, alertaram que qualquer acordo ainda esta ?longe de ser certo, sendo que uma acrescentou que os credores ?dificilmente chegarao a uma decisao em breve. Ainda, uma das tres pessoas disse ?que os credores aceitaram a proposta da ?Raizen de converter ?divida em...

Fossil Fuels

Trump's memo clearly states that Iran won't have nuclear weapons

Donald Trump, U.S. president, told reporters on Tuesday at the G7 meeting in France that Iran's memorandum with Iran clearly states that it will not possess a nuclear weapons. Trump announced that he would release the U.S. - Iran memorandum text in a 'formal' setting. President Trump also expressed his approval of the idea to send the Iran deal for review to Congress, as requested by some Republican legislators. Trump told reporters, "I've never sent it before, I never even considered it. But?I will," he said. "I'll send it to Congress." "I like the idea." Details of the U.S. agreement...

Oil & Gas

Indian shares extend gains on US-Iran peace deal

Indian shares closed higher 'on Tuesday. They advanced for a third consecutive session as a preliminary U.S. - Iran peace deal cooled down oil prices & improved risk appetite. The Nifty?50 increased 0.57%, to?23989.15. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex rose 0.71%, to 76 808.48. This represents gains of 3.6% and 4% respectively in just three sessions. The small-cap and middle-cap indexes each rose 0.4%. Brent crude dropped about 2%, to $81.6 per barrel. This was a good thing for India, which imports oil. The?moderation in oil prices, to around $82 per barrel, along with India's stable macro-fundamentals, steady interest rates, and...

Crude Oil

Crude Oil

Oil prices fall as stocks rise on optimism about Iran deal

MSCI's global equities index rose?on Thursday, while oil prices dropped. An interim agreement to end the U.S. - Iran war allowed the reopening?of the Strait?of Hormuz. This fueled hopes that inflation?could?ease and that the U.S. Federal Reserve might not have to?tighten monetary?policy? this year. On Wednesday, the United States and Iran reached an agreement that extended a ceasefire declared in April for another 60 days. This will allow both sides to negotiate a peace. The agreement also allows for the full resume of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz "without charge". Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has threatened to...

Crude Oil

Kevin who? MoU trumps Federal

Anna Szymanski is the Editor-in Charge of Open Interest. The markets reacted to the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance - but for a short time. As expected, the U.S. central banks kept interest rates at 3.5%-3.75%. However, their messaging indicated a tightening of monetary policy, which initially drove up bond yields and sparked a Wall Street'selloff' that Elon Musk's SpaceX could not escape. But global equities shrugged off that news on ?Thursday ?morning, as the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran sent oil prices tumbling to a three-and-a-half-month low. Below, I'll go into more detail. Listen...

Crude Oil

Stocks fall as Fed rate outlook offsets optimism about Iran deal

The global stock market was torn Thursday between optimism and concern over the possibility of an increase in U.S. interest rates?this coming year following the Federal Reserve meeting. The United States and Iran released their agreement on Wednesday, which extends the ceasefire that was announced in April for another 60 days. This will allow both sides to negotiate a peace. The agreement also calls for the full resume of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz "without charge". Oil dropped 2.8% more to $77 per barrel. This is the lowest price since early March. Futures and shares fell in Europe,...

Mining

Mineral Resources

Mineral Resources

Gold falls as Fed signals hawkish boost dollar and rate hike bets

Gold prices remained stable on Thursday, despite a hawkish Federal Reserve policy and a stronger Dollar. The U.S. Iran ceasefire agreement, which reduced inflation fears and sent oil prices lower, also helped to keep gold at a reasonable level. At 10:30 am, spot gold was down by 0.3% to $4,246.55 an ounce. ET (1430 GMT). Last week, prices reached their lowest level since November 2025. U.S. Gold Futures dropped 2.7% to $4.264.30. The Fed's hawkish tilt yesterday was most important. The dollar is at new record highs, and this keeps gold under pressure, according to Peter Grant, senior metals analyst...

Mineral Resources

US signs loan agreement with Energy Fuels worth $725 million to boost domestic rare-earth production

On 'Thursday, the U.S. government signed a conditional loan agreement of $725 million with Energy Fuels to boost domestic 'processing' of rare earth elements as part its efforts reduce dependence on China. Energy Fuels shares surged by 9.25% during the morning trade on Thursday in New York. Energy Fuels will expand operations in rare earth separation and metallization. This is vital for the production permanent magnets. The Office of Strategic Capital of the Department of War released a statement. OSC stated that the company's increased production of rare-earth oxides will "directly?support permanent magnets across the U.S. industry base and improve...

Mineral Resources

Gold prices rise as oil prices fall and the dollar is bolstered by hawkish Fed

Gold prices rose on Thursday, as a lower oil price following the?U.S. Iran ceasefire agreement countered pressures from a stronger US dollar and hawkish Federal Reserve language. Gold spot was up 0.2% to $4,264.67 an ounce by 0913 GMT following a 1.7% drop on Wednesday. U.S. Gold Futures dropped 2.2% to $4285.00. Oil prices dropped after the U.S. signed an interim deal with Iran that would 'end their conflict,' reopen Strait of Hormuz, and lift U.S. sanctions against Tehran oil. This boosted the outlook for oil supplies. Han Tan, Bybit's chief market analyst, says that gold is on the rise,...

Mineral Resources

Gold firms benefit from lower oil prices following US-Iran ceasefire agreement

Gold prices rose on Thursday, as lower oil costs following the 'U.S.-Iran truce deal' helped bullion recover losses from the previous session caused by Federal Reserve rhetoric that was hawkish. As of 0830 GMT on Thursday, spot gold rose 0.6% to $4,284.67 an ounce after falling 1.7% Wednesday. U.S. Gold Futures dropped 1.8% to $4304.30. Oil prices dropped after the U.S. and Iran signed a temporary agreement to end the Iran War, reopen?Strait of Hormuz and lift U.S. sanctions against Tehran's oil. Han Tan, Chief Market Analyst at Bybit, said that gold is rebounding today after markets quickly moved past...

Mineral Resources

Gold drops 1% after Fed keeps rates stable, signals rate increase this year

The gold price?reversed its course and dropped more than 1%?on Wednesday, after the U.S. Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rates steady but warned of a rise in borrowing costs this year. This sent the dollar higher. By 2:40 pm EDT (1840 GMT), spot gold had fallen 0.7% to $4,299.89 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures closed 0.6% higher at 4,381.40. Nine out of 19 policymakers at the U.S. Central Bank believe that they will have to increase the policy rate for this year. This is according to the projections made on Wednesday, after the Fed announced their decision to keep...

Mineral Resources

Ruto: Kenya and US are close to a critical mineral deal

Kenya is nearing a deal to process its own minerals in the U.S., said its president on the'sidelines of the G7 Summit on Thursday. He called for a wider reset between Africa and the 'West. In recent years, countries across Africa have been pushing to process more minerals produced domestically. This is a move towards keeping more value in Africa. William Ruto, who represented one of the several partner countries at the summit held on the shores Lake Geneva, told an interviewer that the agreement covering rare earths, other strategic minerals and the like was already being worked on and...

Mineral Resources

Trump Administration pivots towards buying stakes of critical sectors

As part of its efforts to reduce its dependence on China, the Trump administration is stepping up efforts to secure U.S. supplies chains for essential minerals and semiconductors. Federal grants are being converted into equity stakes within companies. The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded $500 million on Wednesday to SandboxAQ, a company backed by Nvidia. This money will be used to develop new materials to make chips. The following companies are linked to the strategic investments push: SANDBOXAQ In exchange for a small stake in the company, the U.S. Commerce Department awarded $500 million to SandboxAQ, a Nvidia-backed company. The...

Mineral Resources

Gold gains ground as Fed meeting, US-Iran Deal details and Fed meeting in the spotlight.

Investors awaited the U.S. Central Bank's first policy announcement under new Chairman Kevin Warsh as well as further details on the U.S. Iran peace agreement to provide further direction. By 8:20 am EDT (1220 GMT), spot gold had not changed much at $4,325.59 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures fell 0.2% to $4,345.00. Federal Reserve rate?decisions, policy statements and updated policymaker forecasts will be announced at 2 pm EDT (1800 GMT). Warsh will give a presser half an hour later. He replaced former Fed Chief Jerome Powell in the last month. Kevin Warsh will be the focus of attention, not U.S....

Mineral Resources

Middle East crude prices drop as U.S. Iran deal boosts supply outlook

Data showed that the Middle East crude market fell sharply, and even slid into discounts. This was after the United States, Iran, and other countries reached a framework agreement to reopen Strait of Hormuz. The 'Asian refining market led by China is still subdued despite months of?run-cuts.' Hopes for higher supply following the deal have pushed Dubai and Middle East benchmarks to contango, and provided rare arbitrage opportunities in Europe and the United States. Benchmark Dubai’s premium to swaps fell into a 46-cent discount on Tuesday. This is the first contango structure in January. A contango market structure is one...

Oil & Gas Refining

IG4 is aiming to take control of Brazil's Raizen as it approaches Moelis, Journey and Moelis

Three people with knowledge of the situation say that independent investment 'bank Moelis & Company, and financial consultancy 'firm Journey Capital are advisers of creditors of ethanol and sugar producer Raizen. They received a 'non-binding offer?from the private equity firm IG4 on Monday evening to purchase credits and control. Two of them warned?that any agreement remains far from sure, and one said that creditors are unlikely?to reach a decision any time soon. One of the creditors said that they accepted Raizen’s offer to convert their debt into equity because it was the 'best alternative available', but would not like to...

Mineral Resources

SpaceX shares set to surpass Amazon in terms of market value

Elon Musk’s SpaceX shares extended a 'post-IPO rally' and rose?more than 8% in Tuesday's premarket trading,?putting 'the company on track to surpass Amazon.com's market value in order to become the fifth largest company in the world. The stock rose 8.5% to $208.90. This is more than 54% higher than its $135 IPO and gives the company a total market capitalization of $2.75 trillion if these gains continue. Amazon is valued at $2.66 trillion and Microsoft at $2.95 trillion. The top three companies in the world are worth more than $4 trillion. "We can state with certainty that the valuation of...

Mineral Resources

Newmont announces new CFO and COO as part leadership overhaul

Newmont announced Monday a series of 'executive appointments', including the appointment of Brian Tabolt to its finance chief. The gold miner is reshaping its top management, under a new CEO. Tabolt was Newmont's group head of finances and chief accounting officer before joining the company. He joined Molson Coors Beverage in 2021. Tabolt replaces Peter Wexler who served as the interim CFO of the company. His appointment takes effect on July 1. The company also announced the appointments of David Thornton, chief technical officer and Mark Rodgers, chief operating officer. Newmont is undergoing a boardroom shake-up after Natascha Vijoen was...