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Oil Prices Climb on Iran Tensions and Record Low Inventories
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CNBC5/18/2026Energy1 min read

Oil Prices Climb on Iran Tensions and Record Low Inventories

Quick Look

  • Oil prices surged Monday as President Trump warned Iran to "get moving" amid stalled peace talks.
  • Record low global inventories and continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are also contributing factors to the price hike.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Oil prices have risen amid warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump to Iran and record low global inventories. Tensions between the U.S. and Iran persist despite a fragile ceasefire, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining largely closed.

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Oil prices rose Monday as U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran "better get moving" amid a deadlock in peace talks, while experts pointed to record low inventories.

International benchmark Brent crude futures for July rose 1.98% to $111.42 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for June advanced 2.43% to $107.98 per barrel, the highest this month.

U.S. President Donald Trump's warning to Iran over the weekend signals that the impasse between Washington and Tehran over a peace deal and reopening the Strait of Hormuz could lead to a resumption in armed conflict.

Trump said a Truth Social post on Sunday that "For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them," adding that "TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!"

While a fragile ceasefire was reached in April, tensions between Iran and the U.S. continue with Tehran keeping the Hormuz waterway mostly closed, while the Trump administration continues to blockade Iranian ports.

The strait, prior to the war, saw nearly a fifth of the world's oil and gas supply flow through it.

The International Energy Agency, in its latest monthly update, cautioned that oil inventories globally are depleting at a record pace as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. "Rapidly shrinking buffers amid continued disruptions, may herald future price spikes ahead," the IEA said.

Inventories will near all-time lows of 7.6 billion barrels by end-May, if demand for oil remains the same month over month, according to a report by Swiss bank UBS last week.

—CNBC's Garrett Downs and Spencer Kimball contributed to the report.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • Oil prices will continue to be volatile and potentially spike further.

    Likely · Medium term

  • The Strait of Hormuz may see further disruptions or a resumption of conflict.

    Possible · Short term

Open Questions

  • What specific actions might the U.S. take if Iran does not "get moving"?
  • What are the immediate implications for global oil supply if conflict resumes?
  • What is the current status of the peace talks between Washington and Tehran?
  • What are the specific reasons for the record pace of inventory depletion?

Related Topics

This article was originally published by CNBC.

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