Economy
Crude Oil Retreats Over 4% as China Pushes for US-Iran Peace Talks
By Adedapo Adesanya
Crude oil prices were more than 4 per cent lower on Friday after it was reported that China had initiated a push to resume stalled peace talks between the United States and Iran.
Brent futures settled at $96.78 a barrel after it lost $3.91 or 3.88 per cent, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures finished at $89.31 a barrel, down $2.88 or 3.12 per cent.
Both benchmarked crude rallied this week as the US and Iran exchanged missile strikes, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a trickle, and Yemen’s Houthis attacked shipping in the Red Sea. To make matters worse, Kazakhstan has suspended oil flows via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium system following Ukrainian drone attacks.
However, China’s foreign ministry said “China supports the mediation efforts made by Pakistan and other parties,” adding that the world’s largest oil importer will continue to “play an active role in restoring peace and tranquillity in the Middle East Gulf region as soon as possible.”
Pakistan is exploring a path towards a resumption of stalled US-Iran talks over ending their nearly five-month-old war, following a push initiated by China.
According to Reuters, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, also discussed the new Middle East effort with Chinese officials when he visited China last week.
China is Iran’s largest trading partner and primary buyer of its exported crude oil despite international sanctions on Iran, benefiting from a steep discount on the energy source.
US President Donald Trump had promised “major military punishment” for Iran and its Houthi allies after the strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
Iran had been pressing the Houthis to close the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea if the US continued to attack Iranian power infrastructure. It is the second most important route for energy shipments after the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf.
Additionally, the Houthis declared on Monday that they were imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, which had been diverting its oil via pipeline to get around Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Daily vessel transits through the strait were steady at three for each of the past three days.
The Red Sea oil chokepoint has been critical for Saudi crude oil shipments after the kingdom has managed in recent months to redirect its exports that previously shipped from the Persian Gulf to Yanbu.
