Oil claws back losses as Strait of Hormuz is closed again
Oil prices rebounded more than 6% on Monday after tumbling more than 9% on Friday on news the Strait of Hormuz is closed again after both the U.S. and Iran said the other party had violated their ceasefire deal by attacking ships over the weekend. Brent crude futures jumped $6.11, or 6.76%, to $96.49 a barrel by 2327 GMT and U.S. West Texas Intermediate was at $90.38 a barrel, up $6.53, or 7.79%. The U.S. military had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday, while Iran said it would not participate in a second round of peace talks despite Trump’s threat of renewed airstrikes. The United States has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then reimposed its own blockade of the Strait, which handled roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply before the war began almost two months ago.