Steve Hou
Head of Research at Silicon Data, AI Compute Markets
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.comÂ
Oil traders anticipate a resumption of the Iran war after the midterm elections, favoring more upside for crude oil. After a bullish reversal off its 10-week moving average, the odds favor a continuation of the rally to the $110-120 range. x.comÂ
Oil prices should drop further as the Iran conflict winds down, which will likely make the Fed more dovish. x.comÂ
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.comÂ
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 should fall back into the $60s and likely well below over time once the Iran war is resolved. Middle East producers are overproducing but cannot export the barrels, so when the Strait fully reopens they will flood the market. Oil tried to break down from its trend line but was rejected, and bigger resolution news is likely needed to push it much lower. Cheaper oil would remove current inflation fears, setting up a deflationary boom. x.com x.comÂ
Fears of US strikes on Iran could send crude oil to $200 quickly. FinanceLancelot reports that the USS Theodore Roosevelt is heading to the Middle East and says the move has revived concern that Trump will follow through on threats to hit Iran after the midterm elections. x.comÂ
Oil rises every time the Iran war escalates, making a long position on each escalation an easy trade. x.comÂ
Oil looks set to fall whichever way the Iran war goes. If it escalates, the US takes over Iran's oil; if it de-escalates, the US says Iran wants to talk. x.com x.comÂ
Oil stays above $80 well past the midterms because the supply problem persists despite peace headlines. Ships are still attacked near Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the UAE; a reported US strike on Iran's Konarak Naval Base ended nearly seven weeks without US strikes. There is nobody in Iran who can sign a deal and end the conflict. x.comÂ