US President Donald Trump said that he will have an agreement with Iran to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz “over the next week,” ABC News reported on Monday.
His comments came following his direct intervention to halt a flare-up between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump expressed optimism about the negotiations while acknowledging unresolved details remain on the table. “Looking good, looking good,” he said, adding that he had quickly resolved a diplomatic “glitch” that threatened to derail progress.
Trump stated that he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and asked him not to proceed with a major raid on Beirut, and that Israeli troops were turned around. However, Netanyahu contradicts Trump, emphasizing that he will continue operating against Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah claimed several attacks on Israeli targets in south Lebanon late on Monday, hours after Trump said the Iran-backed militia had agreed that “all shooting will stop”. Meanwhile, the Israeli military claimed it has intercepted two projectiles launched from Lebanon towards Israeli territory.
Market reaction
At the time of writing, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is up 4.35% on the day at $90.65.
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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