Oil Ticks Down, US-Iran Talks in Focus

WTI crude oil futures slid 3% to around $90.3 per barrel on Friday as markets focused on signs of weaker global demand and the lack of a breakthrough in negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Although President Trump maintained that discussions with Iran are progressing, tensions remain elevated, with disagreements over Lebanon continuing to complicate efforts to secure a broader agreement. Concerns about consumption also weighed on prices after Chinese crude imports fell to their lowest level in ten years, reflecting reduced refinery activity and softer demand. Several analysts now expect global oil demand growth to slow significantly this year. Earlier gains driven by fears of prolonged disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have faded somewhat, though uncertainty over the region remains high. In Oman, operations at the Mina Al Fahal export terminal were briefly disrupted by an explosion before resuming.

WTI crude oil futures fell toward $91 per barrel on Friday, extending a 3.1% fall in the previous session, as investors looked for signs of progress in US-Iran negotiations while uncertainty persisted over a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. President Donald Trump said talks with Tehran were progressing well, despite Iran-backed Hezbollah rejecting a US-brokered ceasefire proposal. Oil prices remain more than 4% higher for the week after renewed clashes between US and Iranian forces dampened hopes for a deal that could restore flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has since struck a more optimistic tone, saying the strait could reopen quickly if Iran agrees to a memorandum of understanding to halt hostilities. However, little concrete progress has emerged, with Israel’s continued operations in Lebanon remaining a key obstacle. Elsewhere, loadings at Oman’s Mina Al Fahal export terminal were temporarily delayed following an explosion, although operations later resumed.

WTI crude oil futures held near $93 per barrel on Friday after falling 3.1% in the previous session, as investors looked for signs of progress in US-Iran negotiations while uncertainty persisted over a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. President Donald Trump said talks with Tehran were progressing well, despite Iran-backed Hezbollah rejecting a US-brokered ceasefire proposal. Oil prices remain more than 6% higher for the week after renewed clashes between US and Iranian forces dampened hopes for a deal that could restore flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has since struck a more optimistic tone, saying the strait could reopen quickly if Iran agrees to a memorandum of understanding to halt hostilities. However, little concrete progress has emerged, with Israel’s continued operations in Lebanon remaining a key obstacle. Elsewhere, loadings at Oman’s Mina Al Fahal export terminal were temporarily delayed following an explosion, although operations later resumed.