Oil Falls Back to Pre-War Levels as Hormuz Shipping Rebounds

Improving oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have pushed Brent crude below levels seen before the conflict erupted.
Oil Falls Back to Pre-War Levels as Hormuz Shipping Rebounds
An oil tanker berthed at an offshore oil terminal near Basra, Iraq, on April 24, 2026. Mohammed Aty/Reuters
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
|Updated:
0:00

Oil prices fell to their lowest levels since before the outbreak of the Iran war on Thursday as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continued to recover, signaling that crude exports from the Gulf are steadily returning to normal and easing prolonged supply disruption fears.

Brent crude futures for August delivery fell about 1.4 percent to around $72.70 a barrel in early morning trading on June 25, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped about 1.1 percent to below $70. Prices have now fallen for four straight sessions, wiping out all of the gains recorded since the conflict began.

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Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
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