US ends naval blockade as Iran's supreme leader says Trump made deal 'out of desperation’
The US-Iran interim peace deal took effect, and shipping started returning to the Strait of Hormuz as the US dropped its naval blockade of Iran, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the end of the blockade on X "in accordance with the President's direction" and said the navy will “remain in the general area” to ensure the agreement with Iran is “adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect.”
US Vice President JD Vance stated that 12.5 million barrels of oil had passed through the critical waterway in the previous night and that Iranian forces had not fired on any ships.
Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, accused US President Donald Trump of making a deal with Tehran out of “desperation”, as he confirmed his approval of the long-awaited plan.
Khamenei said that while there would be "in-person negotiations in the future" between Iran and the US, this "will not mean acceptance of the enemy's position.”
Market reaction
At the time of writing, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is up 0.31% on the day at $75.20.
WTI Oil FAQs
WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.
Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.
The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.
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