Oil prices rose on Thursday amid concerns that a potential US military intervention against Iran could disrupt regional oil supplies, alongside data pointing to a fall in US crude inventories and the Federal Reserve's (Fed) policy decisions.
International benchmark Brent crude traded at $68.40 per barrel at 10.08 a.m. local time (0708 GMT), up about 1.4% from the previous close of $67.46.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) increased around 1.5% to $64.19 per barrel, compared with $63.23 in the prior session.
US President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday that a "massive armada" was moving toward Iran, warning Tehran to reach an agreement or face a "much worse attack."
Trump said the fleet, led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, was larger than the one previously deployed to Venezuela and was "prepared to rapidly fulfil its missions with speed and violence if necessary."
Trump urged Iran to come to the negotiating table for what he described as a "fair, balanced and good deal for everyone," stressing that such an agreement would exclude nuclear weapons.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X that Iran remains ready for an agreement that guarantees its right to peaceful nuclear technology while ensuring it does not pursue nuclear weapons. He added that Iran is prepared to respond immediately and forcefully to any attack.
Iran produces about 3.2 million barrels of crude a day, making it OPEC's fourth-largest producer. President Trump's public warnings and the deployment of US naval forces, combined with Iran's readiness to respond, have heightened fears of potential supply disruptions, lending upward support to oil prices.
- US crude inventories decline
Oil prices also found support from supply disruptions in the US, where extreme cold weather has curtailed production and exports.
The prolonged outages are expected to tighten supply, while falling inventories signal the impact is already being felt. Data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed that commercial crude oil inventories fell by about 2.3 million barrels last week.
Meanwhile, comments suggesting that progress in the US fight against inflation has been uneven have also influenced prices. The Fed held its benchmark interest rate steady at 3.5%-3.75% at its first Federal Open Market Committee meeting of the year, a decision approved by a 10-2 vote.
Lower interest rates support oil demand by stimulating economic activity, providing upward pressure on prices.
By Duygu Alhan
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
