{"id":45670,"date":"2026-04-23T05:59:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T05:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/uncategorized\/45670\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T05:59:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T05:59:30","slug":"wti-crude-remains-supported-above-92-easing-from-asian-highs-near-95-85-as-middle-east-tensions-persist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/live-updates\/45670\/","title":{"rendered":"WTI crude remains supported above $92, easing from Asian highs near $95.85 as Middle East tensions persist"},"content":{"rendered":"

WTI rose for a third day, reaching about $95.80\u2013$95.85 in Asia, a one-and-a-half-week high. It later slipped but stayed just above $92.00, up nearly 0.30% on the day.<\/p>\n

A temporary extension of the US-Iran ceasefire did not remove concerns about continued conflict. Tension around the Strait of Hormuz kept worries about disruption to the shipping route.<\/p>\n

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US Navy blockade of Iranian ports will continue. Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards Navy seized two vessels, and that at least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Prices also found support after a surprise draw in US crude stockpiles. An intraday jump was linked to false reports of an attack on Tehran, and the move later eased.<\/p>\n

With WTI crude holding strong around $88, we see a familiar pattern emerging. Tensions are again high in the Red Sea, while the latest EIA report showed a surprise inventory draw of 3.1 million barrels last week. This tight supply backdrop mirrors situations we’ve navigated before.<\/p>\n

We are reminded of the Strait of Hormuz tensions back in 2025, when similar disruptions pushed prices firmly above the $92 mark. The market is once again pricing in a significant geopolitical risk premium, suggesting the path of least resistance is upwards. The fundamental picture, supported by OPEC+ maintaining production cuts through the second quarter, supports a bullish stance for oil.<\/p>\n

For those looking to capitalize on this, buying out-of-the-money call options for June 2026 delivery appears prudent. A move towards the $95 strike price offers considerable upside if these supply fears continue to mount. This strategy allows for participation in a rally while strictly defining the risk to the premium paid.<\/p>\n

However, we also remember how quickly prices retreated on rumors during the 2025 spike, creating significant volatility. With implied volatility currently elevated, selling cash-secured puts below the current market, perhaps at the $82 or $80 level, could be a way to collect rich premiums. This benefits traders if prices move up, sideways, or even fall slightly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WTI crude rose to $95.85, then eased above $92 amid Hormuz tensions and declining US stockpiles.<\/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-45670","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\/45670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET","POST","PUT","PATCH","DELETE"]}}],"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=45670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45670\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarketsglobal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}