Oil Prices Steady Amid US Threats Against Iran Blockade
New developments in the Iran-US conflict sent oil prices fluctuating on Friday. The US threatened an indefinite naval blockade of Iran, sparking concerns about crude supply. Brent futures rose by 1 cent to $87.08 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures increased by 6 cents to $81.31 a barrel.
The oil benchmarks are on track for weekly gains of approximately 4% after the previous session's decline. Despite bearish crude stock data, the geopolitical backdrop is preventing a sharper price drop, according to Susan Bell, senior vice president for oil commodity markets at Rystad Energy.