Economic Sanctions
Sanctioned oil trade is booming in the shadows, to India's and China's benefit
According to Kpler, a maritime analytics and intelligence firm, the size of the 'shadow fleet' carrying oil under Western sanctions grew from just 97 vessels in 2022 to around 3,313 vessels by the end of 2025, an increase of 3,315%.
4 min read20 Jan 2026Sanctions have become a default tool of hard diplomacy: What this implies for middle powers like India
Strategic autonomy today is not about isolation. It is about room to manoeuvre. India's measured, interest-driven and quietly adaptive approach offers a realistic model for how middle powers can function in a world of sanctions.
4 min read19 Jan 2026Mint Quick Edit | What can Iran's street unrest be traced to: US sanctions or its ‘oil curse'?
Iran's streets have erupted in protests sparked by an inflation crisis led by a currency slide. Both structural and external factors have been at play. Let's see what its economy's squeezer-in-chief, the US, does next.
1 min read12 Jan 2026Citgo is a crown jewel of Venezuela's oil industry. Elliott is set to reap the benefits.
The hedge fund could soon close its proposed takeover of the refiner—and profit from any bump in oil production from the Latin American country.
5 min read6 Jan 2026Indian Oil Makes FIRST-EVER Colombian Crude Purchase as Sanctions on Russia Reshape Oil Flows
India has made a landmark shift in its crude sourcing strategy, with Indian Oil Corporation purchasing Colombian crude for the first time. The move comes as sanctions on Russian oil tighten supply routes, raise shipping risks, and force Asian buyers to diversify. Analysts say the deal highlights how geopolitics is redrawing global oil flows, pushing India—the world's third-largest oil consumer—to explore new suppliers beyond Russia and traditional Middle Eastern grades.
2 Jan 2026Mint Quick Edit | Trump's sanctions are likely to squeeze Russian oil supply: Will it hurt India?
US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil aim to choke Russia's oil revenues and stop the Ukraine War. While this may be fanciful and workarounds might exist, Trump's move has pushed up uncertainty on multiple fronts for India.
1 min read24 Oct 2025US revokes sanctions waiver on Iran's Chabahar port, India's port plans hit
US scraps India's Chabahar waiver just as trade talks resume, threatening penalties for firms and clouding Delhi's bid to build the port into a key regional trade and investment hub.
2 min read19 Sep 2025Trump pressed EU for tariffs on China, India in Russia sanctions talks
The bloc is expected to target some foreign firms that are helping Russia, possibly including some Chinese companies, according to diplomats.
2 min read10 Sep 2025Trump threatens Russia with 'very serious' economic sanctions ‘if no ceasefire': 'Not getting into a World War'
Trump suggested potential economic sanctions on Russia if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. He expressed a desire to avoid a world war, while indicating that an economic conflict would have negative consequences for Russia.
1 min read27 Aug 2025Trump warns Putin: Make peace in Ukraine or face ‘severe consequences'
When asked if Russia would face any consequences if Putin did not agree to stop the war after their Alaska meeting, Trump responded, ‘Yes, they will.'
2 min read14 Aug 2025