-- West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil closed lower on Friday amid doubts over the state of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States as Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
WTI crude oil for May delivery closed down US$1.30 to settle at US$96.57 per barrel, while June Brent oil was last seen down US$0.60 to US$95.32.
A fragile two-week ceasefire for the United States' war on Iran reached this week looked more uncertain on Friday as Iran is said to be refusing to attend peace talks scheduled to be held this weekend in Pakistan as long as Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon. Reports on Thursday said Israeli Prime Minister plans to open talks with Lebanon but its attacks on Hezbollah militants in the country continue.
"Western outlets have reported that the Iranian delegation has already arrived in-country while some Iranian outlets dispute this claim, continuing to suggest that the talks are conditional on a ceasefire with Lebanon where Israel / Hezbollah continue to trade strikes," Tudor, Pickering, Holt analyst Matt Portillo wrote.
Iran continues to block the passage of tankers stranded in the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, the choke point for exports from the region that supplies 20% of daily oil demand. The closure of the Strait has pushed oil futures up 41% since the start of the conflict, but spot prices have risen even more, reaching a record high this week as buyers hunt for supply.
"The physical market remains relatively supported as traders resist significant revisions in differentials in the near term, largely opting for a "show me" mentality despite speculation over the future of Strait of Hormuz transits swirling in oil markets. While Dated (spot) Brent trimmed from Tuesday's all-time record of $144.42/bbl (assessed at $124.68/bbl on April 8) and Middle Eastern cash differentials waned, Atlantic Basin crudes have continued to see strength as limited prompt availability of cargoes remains," Christopher Louney, a commodities strategist at RBC Capital Markets, wrote.