Oil Heads for Weekly Surge
2026-07-23 23:18
By
Joshua Ferrer
1 min. read
Crude oil traded above $92 per barrel on Friday and was on track to gain more than 12% for the week, as escalating Middle East tensions heightened fears of deeper global supply disruptions.
US President Trump threatened "major military punishment" against Iran and the Houthis over any further attacks on Red Sea shipping and said he was considering a "massive attack" on Iran.
His remarks followed attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, a crucial alternative export route for Saudi Arabia as fighting continues to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Asian buyers have begun discussing rerouting Saudi crude shipments through the Suez Canal and around Africa.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium also suspended crude loadings at its Black Sea terminal after tanker attacks, disrupting a route handling about 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports.
Meanwhile, the US launched a 13th straight day of strikes on Iran, with both sides ruling out near-term talks.