Iran's Oil Revenue Defies Blockade as Gulf Order Shifts
Tehran claims $18 billion in oil sales since February, exposing limits of US naval interdiction.
Iran's Oil Revenue Defies Blockade as Gulf Order Shifts — Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad stated that Iran earned $11.5 billion during the active combat phase and $6.5 billion during the ceasefire from April 7 to July 10, totaling $18 billion since February 28—despite the US naval blockade that Central Command insists is fully effective.[^1] The gap between official US claims and Iranian figures raises questions about enforcement: either the blockade is porous, or Tehran is inflating numbers for domestic morale. A senior diplomat was quoted as saying that "the Gulf will never be the same again."[^2] The UAE's withdrawal from OPEC in April and the growing dependence of Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain on the Strait of Hormuz—while Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman can bypass it—have fractured Gulf cohesion.[^3] Meanwhile, Iran's civilian leadership, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, tries to maintain dialogue with Washington, but the Revolutionary Guards continue to dictate military escalation.[^4] The complete absence of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei since his father's elimination on February 28, 2026, has created a power vacuum that complicates any diplomatic resolution.[^5] As Iran names new targets for strikes and the Houthis intensify attacks on Saudi oil tankers, the region faces a multi-front crisis where oil revenues fund escalation even as the US weighs a shift in course due to weapons shortages.[^6] Grief, Achievement, and Fracture: Israeli Society in the Past 12 Hours — Zehava Shaul, mother of Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul who was killed in Operation Protective Edge, was laid to rest today at the cemetery in Poria Illit. She passed away at age 71 last Friday. Her son's body was recovered only in January 2025, in a covert operation by Shayetet 13 and other units. The funeral marks a painful coda to a 12-year wait that defined a family and became a national story. [^1] Alongside this private grief, other stories of loss and resilience surfaced. Former hostage Bar Kupershtein shared last night that his grandmother Faina had passed away. "How I will miss you, how you fought for me," he wrote. "I am so happy you got to see th