Oil prices fell sharply on Friday, with Brent crude declining 4.3% to $71.99 per barrel and WTI dropping 3.7% to $69.23 per barrel, as improving oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz continued to ease supply concerns and reinforce expectations of a more balanced global market.
For the week, Brent lost 10.9% while WTI declined 9.6%, marking one of the steepest weekly selloffs of the year as traders increasingly priced out the geopolitical risk premium that had built during the conflict.
Market sentiment remained focused on the steady normalization of exports from the Persian Gulf. Oil tankers continued to transit the Strait of Hormuz despite lingering security concerns following Thursday’s attack on a cargo vessel near Oman. Although overall traffic remains below pre-war levels, crude shipments have continued to recover, supporting expectations that global supplies will improve in the coming weeks.
Additional pressure came after Saudi Aramco resumed crude loadings at its Ras Tanura export terminal following a nearly four-month disruption, signaling that Middle Eastern production and export infrastructure is gradually returning to normal operations. Analysts also pointed to soft crude demand from China, reinforcing expectations that global oil markets could shift toward oversupply as additional Middle Eastern barrels return to the market.
While geopolitical risks remain elevated, particularly after Iran reiterated its intention to maintain oversight of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, investors increasingly viewed the likelihood of a sustained supply disruption as diminishing. Meanwhile, reports that Russia is considering temporary diesel export restrictions due to refinery outages provided only limited support to refined product markets and did little to offset the broader bearish outlook for crude prices.