Crude oil looks likely to open higher on Monday as US-Iran tanker strikes escalate shipping risk. The US military said it struck three Iranian tankers, and Iran said it retaliated against three tankers and three US-linked ships. There is no sign yet that Kharg Island's oil terminal has stopped or that the Strait of Hormuz is fully blocked. Weekend IG quotes put crude near $91, up about 1.38%, with wider spreads but no panic spike and no full pricing of a Hormuz closure. x.com  x.com 

Crude oil's safety buffer is draining at a record pace, so the next supply shock will hit a market with far less protection. The Iran war and near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz have removed over 1 billion barrels of supply, and Morgan Stanley estimates stockpiles fell about 4.8 million barrels a day from March 1 to April 25, a record. A record 400 million barrels of emergency reserves have been pledged, and inventories are near 2018 lows. Even if Hormuz reopens, restocking will add demand. … Show more

Crude oil's latest drop reflects real Gulf export capacity coming back, which erodes Iran's Hormuz leverage. Saudi Arabia resumed loadings at Yanbu, with the East-West Pipeline at 2-2.65m barrels a day and seen by Kpler rising to 3-4m soon. Saudi and UAE shuttle tankers under US escort have restored at least 60% of pre-war flows. The risk: Qatar's mediation is stuck, per Axios, and a squeezed Iran may escalate against ports, refineries, pipelines or Red Sea shipping. x.com 

Near-daily tanker attacks are keeping the oil glut away, with UKMTO issuing another maritime warning. x.com 

Crude oil rises with every day the Strait of Hormuz stays shut, as traders on the other side give up. Reports of oil shortages, fuel rationing and shutdowns across Asia and Australia add to fear, and markets no longer believe Trump will back down. Trump must escalate militarily to reopen the strait, since Iran wants real concessions. Even the best case, boots on the ground with quick success, drives oil up short term; a drawn-out conflict is the worst case, and markets are not prepared for it. … Show more

More oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz and continued OPEC and Russian production should push crude oil lower. It has fallen from about $106 to $96 over the past month. x.com 

Crude oil is going through a real-time supply-chain repricing, not just a headline scare. Crossings are at zero, Brent is at $100, Aramco is rerouting to Sidi Kerir, and diversions around the Cape of Good Hope add weeks to delivery. x.com 

Crude oil has a renewed risk premium now that the US-Iran ceasefire has collapsed. Three commercial ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, the US blamed Iran and struck back two days in a row, and President Trump said the ceasefire is over. The Treasury also pulled its waiver on Iranian oil sales from July 17, and Brent spiked as much as 7% toward $80. Each past crack in the ceasefire spiked oil and eventually calmed down, but nobody knows which time it won't. x.com 

Crude oil's biggest bullish catalyst has disappeared with the prospect of the Strait of Hormuz reopening. Per The Kobeissi Letter, President Trump said he cancelled a US attack on Iran and that the perimeters of a deal, including a total reopening of the strait, have been agreed. x.com 

An imminent Israeli strike on Iran puts Gulf oil infrastructure at unusually high risk over the next three months, supporting a near-term rise in crude oil. Large trades are betting on oil reaching $115 again. x.com