Oil Prices Wobble as U.S.-Iran Deal Faces Tests
Oil remains on track for a second straight weekly decline, but signs of cracks in the agreement to end the war have given traders pause.
Oil remains on track for a second straight weekly decline, but signs of cracks in the agreement to end the war have given traders pause.
Traders are waiting for U.S. and Iranian officials to meet in Switzerland on Friday, when they are expected to sign an initial agreement and begin a 60-day cease-fire.
Stocks were mixed after strong rallies the day before.
The attacks, which strained a two-month cease-fire between Iran and the United States, were the latest jolt to energy markets.
Oil prices fell after Israel and Iran agreed to halt strikes against each other, easing fears of a broader regional conflict that had briefly driven crude higher.
Iranian drones struck Kuwait’s main international airport and the United States and Iran exchanged strikes.
Hopes for an end to the war in Iran faded after President Trump failed to secure a commitment from China to help persuade Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The president is expected to urge the Chinese leader to help ease tensions in the Middle East by helping to persuade Iran to end the war.
President Trump has declared the cease-fire on “life support,” and investors are taking a cautious approach as the economic effects of the war become more apparent.
Investors were in a more sober mood after sharp moves on the previous day.