{"id":43699,"date":"2026-03-30T07:42:42","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T07:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/uncategorized\/43699\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T07:42:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T07:42:42","slug":"during-asian-trading-wti-trades-near-99-after-gains-as-iran-tensions-sustain-supply-worries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/live-updates\/43699\/","title":{"rendered":"During Asian trading, WTI trades near $99 after gains, as Iran tensions sustain supply worries"},"content":{"rendered":"WTI crude edged lower after three sessions of gains, trading near $98.90 a barrel in Asian hours on Monday. Prices may rebound due to concerns about supply risks, as expectations of a rapid end to the Iran conflict weaken.\n\nIran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen carried out their first strikes on Israel over the weekend, widening the conflict. The group said attacks will continue until operations against Iran and its allies stop, and it also threatens Red Sea shipping and Saudi energy sites.\n\n

Escalation And Supply Risk<\/h3>\nThe US is reported to be preparing for a prolonged ground campaign in Iran, with thousands of troops being deployed to the region. President Donald Trump has also raised the idea of taking control of Iran\u2019s oil resources, including the Kharg Island export terminal.\n\nTrump also indicated a shift on Cuba, saying he does not oppose countries supplying crude oil to the island. This comes as a sanctioned Russian tanker nears Cuba with a shipment described as critical, offering some relief amid an effective US-led oil blockade.\n\nThe vessel, linked to Russia\u2019s \u201cshadow fleet\u201d, has been tracked off Cuba\u2019s eastern coast and is expected to dock soon, according to Reuters. The delivery is set to ease pressure on Cuba\u2019s strained energy supplies.\n\nThe brief dip in WTI to around $98.90 should be seen as a temporary pause, not a change in trend. We are now bracing for a significant spike in market volatility, likely pushing the CBOE Crude Oil Volatility Index (OVX) to levels not seen since the market panic of early 2022. This means option premiums are about to get much more expensive, making it costly to wait on the sidelines.\n\n

Positioning And Volatility<\/h3>\nThe potential for a prolonged US ground campaign in Iran directly threatens nearly 3.2 million barrels of daily crude production from the market. Any disruption to the Kharg Island terminal, which handles the vast majority of Iran\u2019s exports, would represent a severe and immediate supply shock. We remember how prices surged past $120 a barrel after the conflict in Ukraine began, and this situation has the potential for a similar, if not greater, impact.\n\nFurthermore, the expansion of Houthi strikes introduces a broader risk to shipping that we have become all too familiar with since last year. These attacks on the Red Sea chokepoint, through which about 10% of global seaborne oil travels, will inflate insurance premiums and freight costs. This adds a geopolitical risk premium to every barrel, regardless of its origin.\n\nGiven this outlook, traders should be actively buying out-of-the-money call options or establishing bull call spreads to capitalize on upward momentum while defining risk. We believe positioning for a move toward the $115-$125 per barrel range is now a prudent strategy. Waiting for further confirmation will likely mean paying significantly more for the same positions.\n\nIt is critical to remember that any government response will be limited. After the historic drawdowns of 2022 and only partial replenishment efforts through 2025, the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve still sits near a 40-year low of around 365 million barrels. This leaves very little buffer to absorb a supply shock of this magnitude, leaving the market dangerously exposed.\n\nThe policy shift on Cuba and the arrival of a sanctioned Russian tanker is a minor development. The volume involved is insignificant when compared to the millions of barrels per day at risk in the Persian Gulf. We should treat this news as market noise that does not alter the overwhelmingly bullish primary thesis for crude oil in the coming weeks.\n\nCreate your live VT Markets account<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0start trading<\/a>\u00a0now. <\/b>\n

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Start trading now – Click here<\/a> to create your real VT Markets account <\/strong> <\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WTI slipped near $98.90 as Iran conflict fears persist; Houthi strikes, US buildup raise supply risk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-updates"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"josephine","author_link":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/author\/josephine\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43699\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}