Brent crude gained 66 cents or 0.53 per cent to sell for $80.38 per barrel on Friday after Israel and Hezbollah agreed on a ceasefire in Lebanon, though Iran set conditions for using the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Also, the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 94 cents or 1.23 per cent to $77.54 per barrel, amid light trading volumes due to the US Juneteenth holiday.
In spite of Friday’s gains, Brent was down about 8 per cent week-over-week, reflecting a significant easing of supply concerns in the wake of the US-Iran deal to end the war.
Gulf producers were preparing to raise exports after Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire, which began on Friday.
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to halt fighting in southern Lebanon after days of escalating clashes threatened to derail the fragile US-Iran peace process, reducing the risk that the first major test of the agreement would turn into its first major failure.
At least four tankers carrying crude, oil products and liquefied petroleum gas (LNG) entered the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, heading for Iraqi Gulf ports. However, despite the uptick in activity, Iran signalled tighter control over shipping.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority said “no vessel is permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without a valid passage permit issued by the PGSA”.
Concerns also remain as a planned meeting between Iranian and American officials in Switzerland on Friday was postponed, with arrangements underway for talks in the coming days.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the meeting was no longer urgent because a memorandum of understanding on ending the war had already been signed digitally between the two sides.
Analysts expect the deal to release more than 85 million barrels of oil stranded in the Middle East Gulf into global markets. The agreement also includes the lifting of US sanctions on Iranian oil, which would add more supply.
However, recovery in flows of supply that transits Hormuz and production after the US-Iran deal could take several months.
On the demand front, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said in its 2026 World Oil Outlook that world demand will rise to 113.3 million barrels per day in 2030 from 105.1 million barrels per day in 2025.
