Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 18
Brent Crude Falls Below $108 as Iran Sanctions Signals Reverse Early 1% Jump
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 18

Brent Crude Falls Below $108 as Iran Sanctions Signals Reverse Early 1% Jump

6 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 18
  • $108 Brent crude and roughly $100 WTI both fell more than 1% on Monday, wiping out earlier gains as traders reassessed the Iran-US standoff.
  • Tasnim reported that U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil could be temporarily relaxed, undercutting the supply fears that had pushed oil higher earlier in the session.
  • The reversal came as Washington and Tehran sent conflicting signals over a fragile cease-fire, with Trump warning Iran that “the clock is ticking” while a peace deal and Strait of Hormuz reopening remained unresolved.
  • Stocks traded mixed, the bond sell-off paused and gasoline prices barely moved, even as analysts warned the conflict still carries a rising risk of a physical oil shortage.
Has Iran's control of the Hormuz Strait made its nuclear program irrelevant in current US negotiations?
With pipelines only a partial fix, how close is the world to a critical oil shortage from the Strait closure?
Is Iran's toll system in the Strait of Hormuz setting a dangerous new precedent for global maritime trade?