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Trump claims crackdown in Iran is over: Update
Trump claims crackdown in Iran is over: Update
Recasts, updates throughout with new details. Washington, 14 January (Argus) — US president Donald Trump said Wednesday afternoon that the Iranian government ended its violent crackdown against nationwide protests — a statement that may mean he does not feel compelled to order air strikes against Iran. "We've been told that the killing in Iran is stopping," Trump told reporters gathered at the White House for an unrelated event. "It's stopped. It's stopping. And there's no plan for executions." Trump has demanded that Tehran put an end to the crackdown or face possible US intervention. The Trump administration mulled possible air strikes. Earlier today, the US military began to partially evacuate military personnel from the Al Udeid air force base in Qatar, according to the Qatari government. But Trump has not explained how US strikes would help the protesters and has not articulated any other US strategic goal in Iran. "The end game is to win," Trump told CBS News on Tuesday. "I like winning." A statement that Iran decided to refrain from executing protesters or stopped violently suppressing them cannot be immediately verified, a fact Trump acknowledged. "We'll find out what that all means," he said. Al Udeid came under a missile attack from Iran in June, following the US bombing raid against key Iranian nuclear facilities. Tehran at the time signaled it was planning to retaliate symbolically, giving the US and Qatar sufficient notice to evacuate the air base. Qatar's LNG and energy facilities did not suffer any damage in the June attack. The US has multiple air force, naval and army resources across the Middle East. But the two aircraft carrier groups that were in the region in June and provided crucial air support in the brief Iran-Israel war are no longer in the region. The Pentagon moved one of the aircraft carrier groups to the Caribbean, where it played a role in the military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Qatar confirms US military base evacuation
Qatar confirms US military base evacuation
Washington, 14 January (Argus) — The US military began to partially evacuate military personnel from the Al Udeid air force base in Qatar on Wednesday, according to the Qatari government. US official sources have yet to provide a confirmation of the move, which would indicate, at a minimum, a possibility of US military strikes against Iran and subsequent retaliation by the Iranian forces against the largest US air force base in the Middle East. The partial evacuation is "undertaken in response to the current regional tensions," the Qatari government said. Al Udeid came under a missile attack from Iran in June, following the US bombing raid against key Iranian nuclear facilities. Tehran at the time signaled it was planning to retaliate symbolically, giving the US and Qatar sufficient notice to evacuate the air base. Qatar's LNG and energy facilities did not suffer any damage in the June attack. US president Donald Trump has mulled possible air strikes against targets in Iran, ostensibly in support of nationwide protests that prompted a violent crackdown by the Iranian government. He has not explained how US strikes would help the protesters and has not articulated any other US strategic goal in Iran. "The end game is to win," Trump told CBS News on Tuesday. "I like winning." By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Opec forecasts slight demand growth slowdown in 2027
Opec forecasts slight demand growth slowdown in 2027
London, 14 January (Argus) — Opec unveiled its projections for 2027 today, showing a slight slowdown in global oil demand growth. In its first Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) this year, Opec said oil demand would grow by 1.34mn b/d to 107.86mn b/d in 2027, led by India, China and other Asian countries. This is slightly below its growth forecast for 2026, which sees oil consumption increasing by 1.38mn b/d to 106.52mn b/d — unchanged from its previous report . Opec said oil demand growth in 2027 would be primarily driven by rising transportation fuel consumption in Asia, including air travel, trucking and personal mobility. Opec's latest report shows oil demand in 2025 grew by just over 1.3mn b/d to 105.14mn b/d. The group's first 2025 oil demand forecast — released in January 2024 — saw consumption rising by 1.85mn b/d. The forecasts would see oil demand growing relatively steadily at 1.3mn-1.4mn b/d between 2025 and 2027. On supply, the group sees non-Opec+ supply slowing slightly in 2027 to 610,000 b/d, compared with 630,000 b/d in 2026. Most of the supply increases will be led by Brazil, Canada, Qatar and Argentina. The US, which has driven much of the world's rising oil supply over the past decade, is seen adding just 30,000 b/d in 2027, down from a forecast 100,000 b/d in 2026. Opec+ crude output — including Mexico — fell by 238,000 b/d to 43.831mn b/d in December 2025, based on an average of secondary sources including Argus . Opec estimates the call on Opec+ crude at 43mn b/d in 2026 and 43.6mn b/d in 2027. By Aydin Calik Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Trump calls off talks with Iran: Update
Trump calls off talks with Iran: Update
Updates with additional details Washington, 13 January (Argus) — US president Donald Trump said he called off talks with Tehran in the latest attempt to pressure the Iranian government beset by nationwide protests. "I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS," Trump posted on his social media platform on Tuesday, urging the demonstrations to carry on. Trump said on 11 January that Iran's leaders had reached out to him to negotiate, without providing details. Iran has not explicitly confirmed having reached out to Trump for the resumption of talks. Trump returned to the topic of Iran throughout Tuesday, without providing a clear statement on what he plans to do. The White House previewed a scheduled speech Trump planned to give in Detroit, Michigan, as possibly outlining his plans for Iran. But Trump merely restated his earlier social media post and claimed that his threat to impose a 25pc tariff on US imports from countries doing business with Iran went into effect Tuesday. The White House has not made public any executive order on new tariffs, and the Customs and Border Patrol agency's tariff portal makes no mention of them either. China is Iran's largest trading partner and the primary destination for Iranian crude, which reaches independent refiners through a well-established network of traders and tankers designed to avoid US sanctions. In later remarks to reporters, Trump again mulled possible US air strikes in Iran but declined to explain how that would help protect protesters in Iran. "You never know," he said. "So far, my track record has been excellent." Trump also downplayed possible retaliation by Tehran. "Iran said that the last time I blew them up with the nuclear capability, which they don't have any longer," he said. Iran's leaders "have got a big problem, and I hope they're not going to be killing people," Trump said. "It would seem to me that they have been badly misbehaving," he said, but added, "That is not confirmed." Public demonstrations began in several Iranian cities on 28 December in protest at deteriorating economic conditions, and unrest has escalated in scope and severity, particularly over the past week or so, which has triggered a crackdown by state security forces. The US oil industry has offered a cautious reaction to the prospect of the US getting involved in Iran, in the wake of another military operation against Venezuela. "We're monitoring that situation," industry group American Petroleum Institute president Mike Sommers said Tuesday at his group's annual event. "We don't know what the next steps are," Sommers said. "This is good news for the Iranian people, though," he said. "They're taking freedom into their own hands. Our industry is committed to being a stabilizing force in Iran if they decide to overturn the regime." The US is not importing Iranian crude but "the challenge in these conflicts is really what happens to the US consumer," refiner Marathon Petroleum chief executive Maryann Mannen said in remarks at the API event. "As we know, just when we think about the control over the strait [of Hormuz] or how long any disruption might be …. we certainly can survive for a period of time," Mannen said. By Haik Gugarats and Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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