Brent oil looks set to move above $100 and potentially stay there for a while, said an industry expert citing reports that Iran has halted negotiations with the US and threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz. That scenario would change the game for investors.
Oil prices climbed more than 2% on Monday as investors reassessed expectations for a breakthrough in US-Iran negotiations, with renewed regional tensions highlighting the fragility of efforts to secure a broader peace agreement and restore stability to Middle East energy supplies.
Iran is expected to respond on Thursday to a US proposal aimed at ending the conflict and establishing a framework for broader nuclear negotiations, according to media reports, as diplomatic efforts intensified amid continuing tensions in the Gulf.
Oil prices eased slightly on Tuesday after jumping about 6% yesterday following increased hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump has announced that the US will begin guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains largely blocked by Iran, starting Monday.
The United States has announced new sanctions on Iranian oil and petrochemical networks, the latest move in its 'maximum pressure' strategy to curb the country's key sources of income and limit funding for its military operations, said a report.
The US-Iran war and effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted economic activity, but the negative rating actions for Middle East issuers for the March-April period were limited to outlook revisions and placements on the Rating Watch, according to a report from Fitch.
US President Donald Trump said he will soon review Iran's new 14-point proposal for peace, adding that he “can’t imagine that it would be acceptable.”
US and Iranian negotiators have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, but President Trump has yet to give his final approval, Axios has reported quoting two US officials and a regional source involved in the mediation efforts.
Iran will restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within a month as per the draft of an initial unofficial framework for a memorandum of understanding with the United States, a Reuters report quoting Iran's state TV said.
