Oil Prices Reflect Optimism That Hormuz Has Yet to Justify

Crude oil prices ended the second quarter of the year with the steepest decline since 2020, with Brent shedding close to 40% on optimism about a peace deal between the United States and Iran.

But it may be too early to celebrate, ING commodity strategists said today.

Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is still far from pre-war levels, Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote, adding that “Total tanker crossings, which include both inbound and outbound movements, are estimated at around 11 on Tuesday, down from a peak of 24 last Wednesday.”…