U.S. Ceasefire with Iran Fails to Alleviate Oil Disruptions, Barclays Warns
The U.S. extension of the ceasefire with Iran has not resolved the ongoing disruptions in oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Barclays has warned that the scale of disruption is significantly underpriced in both oil futures and energy equities. The Strait has been closed to oil and gas flows for over 50 days, with more than 600 million barrels blocked and over 10 million barrels per day shut in. The continued U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has left physical markets tight, with limited passage allowed from the Iranian side. An estimated 20,000 seafarers remain stranded on vessels in the Persian Gulf, facing security threats. A container ship was reportedly fired upon by an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboat, sustaining heavy damage.