-- US natural gas futures rose over 2% on Monday after peace talks between the US and Iran failed, prompting US President Donald Trump to announce a naval blockade against Tehran.
The front-month Henry Hub natural gas contract, along with the continuous contract, traded up 2.04% to $2.70 per million British thermal units.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said that the US Navy would begin the blockade against Iran by preventing vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports.
On Sunday, the US Central Command, in a post on X, said it will begin the blockade on Monday at 10 AM ET, noting that it will not impede freedom of navigation for other vessels transiting through the Strait "to and from non-Iranian ports."
All of these developments have created new uncertainties for global energy markets, including US natural gas and LNG exports.
On the domestic front, total natural gas production was flat last week, averaging 107.3 billion cubic feet per day, while imports from Canada declined 6.0 Bcf per day to 5.0 Bcf per day, according to NRG Energy.
Natural gas demand declined sharply, from 90 Bcf per day to 75 Bcf per day over the past week, owing to warmer temperatures across the country.
Weather forecasts continued to remain bearish, with most parts of the country expected to experience above-normal temperatures from April 20 to April 26, according to the National Weather Service, which further weighs on domestic natural gas demand.