IEA declares worst energy crisis in history
Shafaq News- Middle East
The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Monday called for urgent demand reduction measures as its executive director warned that the Iran war had led to the worst global energy disruption in history, with more than 80 oil and gas facilities across the Middle East damaged and the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed.
"The only real solution is ensuring the free flow of oil and gas through Hormuz," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement, adding that the agency had asked member countries to identify rapid ways to cut energy consumption, with some already responding.
On strategic petroleum reserves, Birol cautioned that releasing stockpiles would not resolve the underlying crisis. "Given the scale of production shutdowns and the Hormuz closure, releasing oil is not a solution -it is a painkiller," he said, adding that the IEA nonetheless remained prepared to authorize a coordinated release if conditions deteriorated further.
The US naval blockade of Hormuz took effect today with more than 15 warships deployed. President Trump warned that any vessel approaching the blockade zone would be "immediately destroyed," while the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran's armed forces central command, warned that no port in the Gulf or the Sea of Oman would be safe if Iran's ports were targeted.
The blockade follows six weeks of conflict triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, bringing shipping through the strait to a near-complete halt and threatening a fragile ceasefire.
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