Oil prices hovered close to $110 per barrel on Tuesday morning as traders evaluated prospects for peace talks in the Middle East. The US is reviewing a new proposal from Iran while the vital Strait of Hormuz remains largely blocked.
Brent, the benchmark for two-thirds of the world’s oil, climbed 1 per cent to $109.30 a barrel at 7.26am UAE time. West Texas Intermediate, the gauge that tracks US crude, was also up nearly 1 per cent to $97.28 per barrel.
Vandana Hari, chief executive of Singapore-based Vanda Insights, said US President Donald Trump is “sceptical of Iran’s offer to end the Strait of Hormuz blockade but postpone nuclear talks”. Insurers have tightened requirements for ships in the strait, she added.
Goldman Sachs warned on Monday that oil prices could approach $120 a barrel later this year amid a continued stalemate in peace talks between the US and Iran, which leaves Gulf shipments uncertain for longer.
The global investment bank raised its oil price forecasts for the fourth quarter of 2026, lifting its Brent crude target to $90 per barrel and WTI to $83 per barrel, warning that massive Middle East production losses are driving global oil inventories lower.
“The economic risks are larger than our crude base case alone suggests because of the net upside risks to oil prices, unusually high refined product prices, products shortages risks, and the unprecedented scale of the shock,” Goldman Sachs analysts led by Daan Struyven said in a research note.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US will not accept Iran retaining control over passage through the Strait of Hormuz, following the cancellation of negotiations between Washington and Tehran over the weekend.
In an interview with Fox News, Mr Rubio said the US cannot allow Iran to determine which vessels transit the waterway or impose tolls on shipping.