Are we at the tipping point for global energy supplies?

18 May 2026 · 12m

FT News Briefing

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Show notes

The cost for companies to circumvent shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is reaching record levels, and the world is bracing for an energy cliff edge this summer as the US-Iran war continues. But the war hasn’t deterred investment firms from betting on the Middle East, and we have an update on the UK’s political turmoil.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Sweeping the strait: the companies gearing up to clear the Gulf of mines

Gulf freight rates jump as shipping companies turn to trucks to move cargo

What life is like on the stranded ships of the Gulf

Iran energy crisis enters new phase as peak summer season looms

Investment firms look beyond Iran war to expand in Middle East

Labour reopens Brexit debate

Is being prime minister now an impossible job?

Political Fix podcast

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Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Victoria Craig, and produced by Katya Kumkova and Saffeya Ahmed. Our show was mixed by Alex Higgins. Additional help from Peter Barber. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s Global Head of Audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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