Mint Explainer | Why oil prices remain on the boil despite a ceasefire
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Hostilities in West Asia may have eased, but oil prices remain well above pre-war levels. Though prices have stayed below $100 a barrel since the ceasefire announcement, conflicting signals from the US and Iran are keeping markets volatile.Mint looks at the near-term outlook.Yes.
After surging to over $110 a barrel at the peak of the conflict, oil prices moderated following the ceasefire announcement. However, they remain above pre-war levels of around $65 a barrel.For instance, benchmark Brent crude, which traded at about $74 a barrel before the US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, rose to a high of $107 when Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz and key oil infrastructure in the region came under attack.
Prices eased after the ceasefire, and on Friday Brent traded at $87 a barrel after Iran indicated that the strait had reopened.On Saturday, Iran once again shut the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for about 15% of global oil trade, after objecting to continued US restrictions on vessels linked to its ports. According to news reports, a couple of ships were attacked over the weekend, further escalating tensions.
Vessel movement has come to a near halt, and oil prices are therefore expected to rise when markets reopen on Monday.While both sides have publicly claimed progress in talks, experts caution that a final deal remains distant, with the ceasefire set to end on Wednesday.The US has demanded that Iran hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium and halt all enrichment activities within its territory for an extended period. It is also seeking firm assurances that Iran will not shut the Strait of Hormuz again in the future.
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