Israel-Gaza crisis shines spotlight on Iranian oil

by Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk - 10/16/23 5:24 PM ET

Energy & Environment

The Big Story

Iranian oil faces scrutiny amid Israel-Hamas conflict

Deadly attacks on Israel by Hamas, the militant group long backed by Tehran, has put a spotlight on Iranian oil.

Congressional Republicans and GOP presidential hopefuls have called for a crackdown on Iran’s ability to profit from oil sales in the wake of Hamas’s attacks against Israel this month.

Former President Trump, who reimposed sanctions on Iran as part of the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, accused President Biden of allowing Iran “to sell massive amounts of oil.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said that as president he would “move very quickly to shut off flows of money to Iran … the oil money is a big part for them.”

Meanwhile, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told NBC News that the U.S. should “stop Iran from being able to produce the oil.”

And Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a longtime Iran hardliner, told NewsNation that “we should tell the Ayatollah we will destroy your oil refineries and your oil infrastructure” if the conflict escalates.

Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Essential Reads

How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:

Biden administration identifies additional impacts to tribes from proposed mine road

The Biden administration said the construction of a road that would be expected to facilitate mining operations in Alaska would impact more tribal communities than previously thought.

Full Story

Federal government declares 21 species extinct

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) declared 21 species extinct Monday, including 10 birds and two freshwater fish.

Full Story

Refrigeration chemicals are a nightmare for the climate

(AP) — When Jennifer Byrne, owner and technician at Comfy Heating and Cooling, gets a call to come and fix a relatively new air conditioning system, one of the first questions she asks is if the house has just been remodeled.

Full Story

In Other News

Branch out with a different read on The Hill:

Deadly Colorado train derailment spills coal, closing major highway

(AP) — A semi-trailer truck driver was killed when a train derailed and a railroad bridge collapsed onto a major highway near Pueblo, Colorado, spilling coal and mangled rail cars onto the roadway and shutting it down indefinitely, authorities said Monday.

Full Story

What We’re Reading

News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:

U.S. to ease sanctions on Venezuelan oil for freer presidential election (The Washington Post)
Record-breaking wildfires blanket Brazil with smoke (Grist)
New study projects sea level rise to drain Florida’s financial future (WMFE)

What Others are Reading

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

Jordan seeks to sway members his way in Speaker vote: Live coverage

House Republicans are aiming to hold a full House vote at noon Tuesday to elect the Speaker. Their nominee, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is gaining momentum as he tries to lock down support. Read more

Senate rankings: The 5 seats most likely to flip

The battle for the Senate is ramping up a little more than one year before Election Day, with candidate and primary fields getting more settled by the month. Read more

Opinions in The Hill

Op-eds related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: