In an aerial view, the Marathon Petroleum Corp’s Los Angeles Refinery is seen on April 2, 2026 in Carson, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Oil prices declined after closing sharply higher on Monday, as traders continue to assess the risk of immediate supply disruptions amid renewed tensions between the United States and Iran.
Futures for international benchmark Brent crude for July delivery slid 0.60% to $113.77 per barrel Tuesday, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures lost 1.35% to $105.06 per barrel. Brent and WTI settled 6% and 4% higher, respectively on Monday.
A fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared close to unraveling on Monday after the United Arab Emirates was hit by Iranian drones and missiles, while Washington said it had sunk Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to Fox News, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it targeted U.S. ships safeguarding commercial traffic through the strait.
In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump said a South Korean cargo vessel had come under fire in the waterway, adding: “Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!”
Brent crude
Global oil inventories are not yet at critically low levels, but the pace of drawdowns and uneven distribution across regions is raising concerns about localized shortages, Goldman Sachs wrote in a note on Monday.
The bank said easily accessible buffers of refined products are being depleted rapidly, particularly in petrochemical feedstocks such as naphtha and LPG, as well as jet fuel.
Chevron CEO Mike Wirth warned Monday that fuel shortages were a growing concern in some regions of the world as the strait remains closed.
“I think as people look at the realities of very tight supplies, it’s not just a question of price,” Wirth told CNBC’s David Faber at the Milken Institute Global Conference. “It’s actually — can we get the fuel? I think over the course of the next several weeks, we’ll see those effects begin to move throughout the system.”
Total global oil stocks, including crude and refined products held both on land and at sea, are estimated at about 101 days of demand currently and could fall to 98 days by end of May, Goldman said. While that remains above emergency thresholds, the aggregate figures mask sharper shortages in specific regions and products, especially where export restrictions limit supply flows.
“Our estimates of supply of refined products and countries’ own crude stocks point to higher risks of product scarcity in South Africa, India, Thailand, and Taiwan,” the bank’s analysts pointed out.
— CNBC’s Spencer Kimball contributed to this report.
