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Oil prices dropped for the third consecutive day due to easing geopolitical risks, as traders awaited clarity on a potential US-India trade deal that could require India to reduce imports of discounted Russian crude.
Brent was near $66 a barrel, after the April contract plunged 4.4% on Monday as part of a broad retreat in commodities, while West Texas Intermediate traded close to $62. US President Donald Trump said talks with Iran over a new nuclear deal could begin within days, after Tehran signaled it was ready to engage, The Caspian Post reports, citing foreign media.
Iranian media said a US carrier strike group in the region had moved further away from the country toward Yemen. Oil tanker rates have also soared in recent days over concerns about flows through the vital Strait of Hormuz, which transports about a third of the world’s oil.
Elsewhere, Trump said he would roll back tariffs on India in return for an agreement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would stop buying Russian oil, although that wasn’t confirmed by New Delhi. Shipments of Moscow’s crude to Indian ports have tumbled toward the lowest in more than three years, contributing to a growing pool of unsold sanctioned barrels across the globe.
Crude surged last month despite widespread concerns that the market faces a global glut, with prices supported by geopolitical concerns and interruptions to some supplies, including from Kazakhstan. The rally then faltered on Monday as oil was caught up in a major retreat from commodities, especially in metals. Gains in the US dollar added to the headwinds for raw materials.
“Concerns about US military action in Iran have subsided, and negotiations on a nuclear deal appear imminent,” ING analysts Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote. “Clearly, the market will be closely following these talks, given the risks that will re-emerge if they break down.”
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