Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned on Thursday, July 17th, 2026, that global energy security faces a serious threat unless the United States and Iran improve oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, Birol emphasized that “oil security is still a critical issue” and the world should be concerned if the situation does not improve soon.

Birol's remarks followed intensified US military actions against Iran, including a sixth consecutive night of strikes targeting Iranian coastal cities such as Bandar Abbas, Ahvaz, and Iranshahr. The US also fired on a ship it accused of attempting to break its reimposed naval blockade on Iranian ports. Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi reported that these US attacks increasingly targeted infrastructure, including two bridges.

The US justified its strikes by accusing Iran of violating a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that prohibited firing on commercial vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz. A US official, Leavitt, stated, “The reason for the recent strikes is because Iran violated the MoU that we struck with them; specifically, in the MoU that they signed, they were not to fire on commercial vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz.”

In response, Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi demanded that the US cease interference in the Strait of Hormuz and withdraw from the region, saying, “We insist on US not to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz, and on its withdrawal from the region.”

The ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, have raised alarms about the stability of energy supplies worldwide.

Sources