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CENTCOM Says Hormuz Naval Blockade Ends As Gulf Energy Flows Reboot
Summary:
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U.S. CENTCOM says U.S. Naval Blockade on Hormuz has been "Lifted"
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Kuwait Petroleum CEO says Energy Production to Ramp in a Week
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Iran Media says Southern Ports Traffic Begins Normalizing
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Hormuz Normalization Begins As Saudi Supertankers Exit And A Flood Of Persian Gulf Oil Heads For Asia
The roughly two-month U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has officially ended, according to U.S. Central Command on X. This marks a major de-escalation in the Gulf region, as early signs point to the beginning of normalization of energy flows through the critical waterway by tankers.
"Today, U.S. forces lifted the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, in accordance with the President's direction," CENTCOM said.
CENTCOM continued, "American forces are not impeding the transit of vessels to or from Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. All U.S. military blockade enforcement efforts have ceased. Our great Naval Ships will remain in the general area to make sure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect."
Today, U.S. forces lifted the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, in accordance with the President's direction. American forces are not impeding the transit of vessels to or from Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 18, 2026Hormuz flows are still muted.
Searching For Hormuz Normalization SignalsAttention on institutional desks is shifting toward normalization signals at the Strait of Hormuz maritime chokepoint.
At the time of writing at least 14 transits through the Strait of Hormuz were recorded on Thursday June 18 - up from just 2 on the same day last week pic.twitter.com/qcWLrWewCy
— Lloyd's List (@LloydsList) June 18, 2026Earlier, we detailed how Saudi supertankers were beginning to exit the narrow waterway bound for Asia, while also noting that a massive backlog of tankers remains poised to exit the Persian Gulf as the reopening process gets underway.
Bloomberg, citing the semi-official Iranian Students' News Agency, reported that commercial vessel traffic at southern ports is moving toward normalization, with vessels carrying critical goods arriving and two tankers departing.
A separate Bloomberg story quoted Kuwait Petroleum Corp. CEO Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah, who said in an interview that Kuwaiti output is expected to exceed 2 million barrels a day within a week.
"We anticipate that we can exceed 2 million barrels a day within one week from now." Nawaf Al-Sabah.
He added, "And that pending availability of international commercial shipping, to reach Kuwaiti ports, we should be able to resume pre-war production within a matter of weeks."
At pre-conflict levels, Kuwait was producing 2.5 million barrels a day, but has since slumped to as low as half a million barrels a day.
Related:
Earlier, BofA Global Research's commodity team slashed its 2026E Brent forecast to $82/bbl from $ 93/bbl, citing a flood of crude set to hit the global market in the coming weeks and months as Hormuz normalization ramps up.
"The team has also cut its 2027E Brent forecast to US$70/bbl from US$78/bbl with a surplus of 1.1mb/d forecast during the year," BofA analysts said.
Hormuz Normalization Begins As Saudi Supertankers Exit And A Flood Of Persian Gulf Oil Heads For AsiaEnergy flows through the Strait of Hormuz are beginning to restart on Thursday after the interim U.S.-Iran peace deal, with several Saudi-controlled supertankers transiting the critical waterway and exiting the Persian Gulf.
There is a massive backlog of crude and LNG tankers in the Persian Gulf, preparing to exit the Hormuz chokepoint bound for Asia. Bloomberg says 31 supertankers, carrying about 62 million barrels of crude, could soon exit.
The actual number of crude and LNG tankers preparing to exit could be much higher, as some tankers may turn off their transponders. Once exited, many of those tankers are slated for ports in East Asia and will take roughly three weeks to arrive.
One of the key developments overnight was that three Saudi-controlled supertankers, including Bahri-controlled Saudi VLCCs Shaden, Jaham, and Awtad, switched on their transponders and began exiting the Persian Gulf.
Maritime traffic remains far below normal levels and could take many months to return to normal.
"There are certain practical steps that we believe are necessary before the vessels that have been stranded in the Gulf for the last 110 days can resume transiting the Strait of Hormuz," Sheila Cameron, CEO, and Neil Roberts, head of marine and aviation at the Lloyd's Market Association, told Bloomberg in a statement.
Cameron continued, "The main requirement for recovery is stability and certainty for shipowners and insurers. The road to recovery in the Gulf will be a long and complicated one. It will take months for some sort of normality to return to international shipping with vessels in the wrong place and supply chains distorted."
Daan Struyven, Goldman Sachs' co-head of Global Commodities Research, told clients, "We now assume that Persian Gulf exports normalize to pre- war levels by the end of July."
On Thursday morning, Brent crude futures fell below $78, while West Texas Intermediate was near $74. Traders are already pricing in the coming flood of seaborne crude.
Dubai and Murban crude futures curves have flipped into contango, Oman crude is trading at a discount to Dubai, and some diesel cargoes are trading below benchmark levels after commanding lofty premiums.
The first signs of normalization are already visible, following President Trump's acknowledgment on Wednesday at the G7 Summit that the interim peace deal with Iran to reopen Hormuz was signed as the U.S. was nearing the point of "running out of reserves in about four weeks."
*Trump Says `We Run Out of Reserves in About Four Weeks'
we know, but maybe not the smartest thing to admit https://t.co/N28eXJih5e
Struyven noted that even if the expected "normalization" occurs by the end of next month, flows may recover to only 70% of pre-war levels ...
Latest overnight headlines (courtesy of Bloomberg):
US-Iran Peace Deal
• President Trump signed an interim peace deal with Iran on Wednesday evening at the Palace of Versailles, following the G7 summit
• The deal is now in effect and was signed electronically by both presidents, according to US and Iranian officials
• The memorandum of understanding opens the way for 60 days of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program and other issues
• Iran will receive sanctions waivers allowing it to sell oil immediately and gain access to a $300 billion economic development program
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US can reimpose an ironclad blockade if Iran doesn't comply with the deal
Strait of Hormuz Reopening
• Three Saudi supertankers carrying about six million barrels of oil exited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, marking the first Saudi-owned crude tankers to cross since the war began
• A laden LNG carrier and an empty products tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz early Thursday, sailing along a route approved by Tehran for safe passages
• Qatar brought an empty LNG tanker back into the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the war began on Thursday
• Goldman Sachs estimates oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz may recover to only about 70% of pre-war levels, with normalization potentially completed by the end of next month
Economic Impact
• US gasoline prices fell below $4 a gallon on Thursday for the first time since March, down from a May peak above $4.50
Deal Criticism and Complications
• Trump faced pushback from Republicans who object to the deal and the billions of dollars set to flow to Tehran
• Trump brushed aside several red lines on Wednesday, suggesting Iran should have the right to enrich uranium, develop ballistic missiles and access frozen funds
• Israel rejected a US request to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon, citing continued presence of Hezbollah, threatening to complicate broader peace efforts
Iran Leadership Investigation
• The US Justice Department is conducting a probe into how Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei built a global investment portfolio with exposure to Wall Street banks, examining allegations of money laundering and corruption
Related Legal Developments
• A federal judge allowed the Justice Department to drop a criminal case against Turkish state-owned Halkbank on Wednesday for allegedly helping Iran evade US sanctions
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Take-Two Shares Jump As 'Grand Theft Auto VI' Pre-Orders Open Next Week
Take-Two Interactive Software shares jumped early in the cash session after the company announced on X that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will open next Thursday. The move is easing investor concerns that the highly anticipated game could face another delay, reinforcing expectations that Rockstar Games remains on track for its Nov. 19 launch date.
"Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will officially begin on June 25 on digital storefronts and at other select retailers," Rockstar Games wrote on X. The gaming studio is a wholly owned subsidiary of Take-Two.
Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will officially begin on June 25 on digital storefronts and at other select retailers.
Check out the official cover art, also available as downloadable artwork at https://t.co/XPwC8URCQ4 pic.twitter.com/pRVXk4eyDQ
The last major GTA release was GTA V, which launched on Sept. 17, 2013. Gamers have been waiting 13 years for a major GTA installment.
Rockstar has upset not just Take-Two investors but also GTA gamers on numerous occasions, indicating that its developers needed more time to finish the game, thereby delaying the launch. The launch date is set for Nov. 19.
Rockstar just gave us the best look yet at non-enterable buildings in GTA VI
It's not a straight up png like in GTA V and other open world games with skyscrapers but at the same time, it doesn't have anywhere near the detail as the rest of the game. What I'm really curious about… https://t.co/Q5ko9Gpawz pic.twitter.com/kVQTiGZ4VR
Take-Two shares are up nearly 6% in the cash session, though the stock has traded mostly sideways since peaking around $262 in October 2025.
Last month, we asked:
BMO Capital Markets analyst Brian Pitz noted, "We highlight that the game's price remains a key question, as the launch of preorders next Friday should confirm base game pricing. We will also closely monitor for any higher-priced SKUs that give players early access to the game. Reiterate our Outperform, Top Pick, and $280 target price."
According to Bloomberg data, 97% of the analyst coverage on TWWO is "Buy" rated with an average 12-month price target of $281.97.
For reference, GTA V sold about 225 million to 230 million copies worldwide.
There is already a report from Oppenheimer analyst Martin Yang that console sales are increasing ahead of the GTA VI release.
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RFK Jr. Announces More Than $700 Million To Target Mental Illness, Homelessness
Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,
The Trump administration is going to spent more than $700 million on programs aimed at reducing drug addiction, homelessness, and mental illness, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on June 17.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Washington on May 18, 2026. Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty ImagesThe largest portion of the new funding, nearly $239 million, is going to a lifeline that people who are suicidal can call. Some $223 million is going to community behavioral health clinics. Nearly $100 million is being offered to communities that apply to the Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support (STREETS) Program, which provides services for homeless people who are addicted to drugs or have serious mental illness.
The other funds are going to programs targeting the prevention of, treatment for, and recovery from drugs, or programs that support mentally ill people.
"These investments will help move people from the streets into treatment and recovery, strengthen families, save lives, and make communities safer," Kennedy said in a statement.
The funding follows an executive order from President Donald Trump that directed officials to work on shifting homeless people into institutions to help address crime and disorder in the nation's cities, and another order that says the disease of addiction must be stopped through an emphasis on treatment.
"My Administration will drive a new national response to the disease of addiction that will create stronger coordination across government, the healthcare sector, faith communities, and the private sector in order to save lives, restore families, strengthen our communities, and build the Great American Recovery," Trump said in the latter order.
Kennedy on Wednesday visited the Easterseals Michigan-Clinton Township Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, part of the Easterseals network of facilities that assist people with disabilities, their families and caregivers, and veterans.
"Our goal is to provide comprehensive outpatient mental health and substance use services that are person-centered, trauma-informed and evidence-based," the clinic's website states.
Kennedy said that homelessness is "one of the greatest problems that we have now, health problems in this country" and that it is interconnected with the crisis of drug addiction, which has caused more than 1 million deaths since 2000.
Kennedy said administration officials do not support so-called harm reduction initiatives, such as needle exchanges or "safe injection sites." Instead, the administration is emphasizing treatment.
"Recovery works. Treatment works. Accountability works," he said.
Kennedy did say that the withdrawal drugs Suboxone and methadone work, particularly for addicts who cannot enter treatment at certain times. They are "good bridge solutions," he said.
Tyler Durden Thu, 06/18/2026 - 12:45