Oil Pulls Back on Diplomacy Hopes
Crude oil prices slipped to around $102 per barrel on Thursday, trimming gains from the previous session as investors assessed renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation of the Middle East conflict. Reports suggested that US Vice President JD Vance had contacted Iranian national security official Mohsen Rezaei, while President Donald Trump confirmed that negotiations were underway through mediators but acknowledged uncertainty over their outcome. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also reiterated that Tehran remained open to diplomatic solutions. Despite the pullback, WTI crude has gained more than 14% this month, supported by intensifying clashes involving Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi forces, alongside continued threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. However, energy flows from the region have since recovered to levels close to those recorded before the war.
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Crude oil prices slipped to around $102 per barrel on Thursday, trimming gains from the previous session as investors assessed renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation of the Middle East conflict. Reports suggested that US Vice President JD Vance had contacted Iranian national security official Mohsen Rezaei, while President Donald Trump confirmed that negotiations were underway through mediators but acknowledged uncertainty over their outcome. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also reiterated that Tehran remained open to diplomatic solutions.
Despite the pullback, WTI crude has gained more than 14% this month, supported by intensifying clashes involving Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi forces, alongside continued threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. However, energy flows from the region have since recovered to levels close to those recorded before the war.