By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Oil prices slipped to $72 per barrel on Thursday from about $120 per barrel, their lowest level since the US-Iran conflict started February 28.
Increasing Middle Eastern supply, together with Iran set to boost sales after a reprieve from U.S. sanctions, brought down prices of physical crude oil cargoes around the world.
Brent crude futures for August delivery fell $1.06, or 1.44%, to $72.68 a barrel by 0639 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate lost 76 cents, or 1.08%, to $69.58 a barrel.
According to Oilprice.com, crude oil had fallen from $76.75 per barrel on Tuesday to $73.50 on Wednesday, after surging during the conflict as tensions threatened shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Traders were optimistic that the US-Iran agreement would help keep the strategic waterway open, alongside reports of a slight increase in shipping traffic.
An initial peace agreement last week to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which began on February 28, has allowed the resumption of traffic through the strait.
The accord set up 60 days of negotiations to tackle tougher issues, such as Iran’s nuclear programme. Wright said oil would continue to flow through the strait even if the deal did not hold, and that Iran would not be able to close it again.
Oman opened temporary routes on Wednesday to ease tanker departures from the strait, with the International Maritime Organization and Omani authorities coordinating movements.
According to CNN, traders are still monitoring whether traffic continues to flow smoothly through the strait and whether tensions remain contained across the Middle East.
On Tuesday, President of the United States, Donald Trump, said a record 19 million barrels of oil flowed out of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. According to Trump, oil prices are tumbling as a result of the oil flow through Hormuz.
“19 million barrels of oil flowed out of the Hormuz Strait yesterday, an all-time record. Oil prices are tumbling down, and the world is a much safer place,” Trump said in a post on his social media handles.
