Crude Oil tests $70 after ICC issues international arrest warrant for Israel's PM Netanyahu


  • Crude Oil supported with Russia responding to Ukraine’s missile attacks by launching an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time in the war.  
  • The International Criminal Court in Ter Hague issued an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
  • The US Dollar Index is looking for direction with a dovish Fed and safe haven inflows pulling the DXY in both directions.

Crude Oil prices is breaking above $70 on headlines from the International Criminal Court in Ter Hague that has issued an arrest warrant from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Wednesday, Oil already tried to overcome the round $70 level, but failed to do so after headlines emerged that both Ukraine and Russia are willing to hold talks to resolve the current stalemate situation. Any headlines pointing to this possibility could trigger a knee-jerk reaction for Oil prices. 

Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index (DXY) is flat, supported by safe-haven inflows on the back the war between Ukraine and Russia. On the other hand, New York Fed President John Williams delivered dovish comments,  saying that inflation is set to decline further and interest rates should head lower as well. All this together, coupled with disappointing Nvidia earnings overnight, sees the DXY US Dollar Index not really going anywhere. 

At the time of writing, Crude Oil (WTI) trades at $70.01 and Brent Crude at $73.75

Oil news and market movers: Inventories

  • Although Oil prices are rising, the options markets are not showing any concerns for the near future, which could mean that a further escalation is not foreseen, Reuters reports. 
  • The Biden administration has recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González as Venezuela’s president-elect, a move that may make it harder for the incoming Trump administration to cut a deal with Nicolás Maduro, Bloomberg reports. Venezuela is a key producer of Oil in Latin America and it has the world’s largest Oil reserves.
  • US inventories of crude Oil rose for the third straight week as a rebound in Oil exports offset a massive inflow of imported supplies into the Gulf Coast, the weekly report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) revealed on Wednesday.
  • Chinese consumption of products including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel will fall to 390m tons with new energy automobiles and LNG trucks starting to replace heavier fossil fuel consumption, CNPC says in in-house newsletter on its website, Bloomberg reports

Oil Technical Analysis: Stretching on headline risks

Crude Oil price might be ticking up, supported by the geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Still, markets seem to be taking these moves with a pinch of salt as the actual Oil market is still very much flooded with more supply than demand. So, the overall longer term outlook has not changed. 

On the upside, the 55-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) at $70.08 is the first barrier to consider before the 100-day SMA steps in at $72.89. The 200-day SMA at $76.48 is still quite far off, although it could be tested if tensions intensify further. 

On the other side, traders need to look towards $67.12 – a level that held the price in May and June 2023 – to find the first support. In case that breaks, the 2024 year-to-date low emerges at $64.75, followed by $64.38, the low from 2023.

US WTI Crude Oil: Daily Chart

US WTI Crude Oil: Daily Chart

WTI Oil FAQs

WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.

Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.

The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.

OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.

 

Share: Feed news

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

XM
Account
7.2
Tools
9.2
Service
9.4
Trading
9.0
Trust
7.0
Experience
8.4
Read review
Moneta Markets
Account
7.4
Tools
6.6
Service
8.0
Trading
6.6
Trust
5.2
Experience
9.2
Read review
Trading Pro
Account
7.2
Tools
5.2
Service
6.6
Trading
8.0
Trust
5.0
Experience
7.0
Read review
Pepperstone
Account
8.2
Tools
8.2
Service
7.4
Trading
9.0
Trust
8.8
Experience
9.0
Read review
XM
Read review
Moneta Markets
Read review
Trading Pro
Read review
Pepperstone
Read review
Trading Pro
Read review
Pepperstone
Read review
XM
Read review
Moneta Markets
Read review
Trading Pro
Account
7.2
Tools
5.2
Service
6.6
Trading
8.0
Trust
5.0
Experience
7.0
Read review
Pepperstone
Account
8.2
Tools
8.2
Service
7.4
Trading
9.0
Trust
8.8
Experience
9.0
Read review
XM
Account
7.2
Tools
9.2
Service
9.4
Trading
9.0
Trust
7.0
Experience
8.4
Read review
Moneta Markets
Account
7.4
Tools
6.6
Service
8.0
Trading
6.6
Trust
5.2
Experience
9.2
Read review

Recommended content


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD accelerates losses to 1.0930 on stronger Dollar

EUR/USD accelerates losses to 1.0930 on stronger Dollar

The US Dollar's recovery regains extra impulse sending the US Dollar Index to fresh highs and relegating EUR/USD to navigate the area of daily troughs around 1.0930 in the latter part of Friday's session.

EUR/USD News
GBP/USD plummets to four-week lows near 1.2850

GBP/USD plummets to four-week lows near 1.2850

The US Dollar's rebound keep gathering steam and now sends GBP/USD to the area of multi-week lows in the 1.2850 region amid the broad-based pullback in the risk-associated universe.

GBP/USD News
Gold trades on the back foot, flirts with $3,000

Gold trades on the back foot, flirts with $3,000

Gold prices are accelerating their daily decline, steadily approaching the critical $3,000 per troy ounce mark as the Greenback's rebound gains extra momentum and US yields tighten their retracement.

Gold News
Can Maker break $1,450 hurdle as whales launch buying spree?

Can Maker break $1,450 hurdle as whales launch buying spree?

Maker holds steadily above $1,250 support as a whale scoops $1.21 million worth of MKR. Addresses with a 100k to 1 million MKR balance now account for 24.27% of Maker’s total supply. Maker battles a bear flag pattern as bulls gather for an epic weekend move.

Read more
Strategic implications of “Liberation Day”

Strategic implications of “Liberation Day”

Liberation Day in the United States came with extremely protectionist and inward-looking tariff policy aimed at just about all U.S. trading partners. In this report, we outline some of the more strategic implications of Liberation Day and developments we will be paying close attention to going forward.

Read more
The Best brokers to trade EUR/USD

The Best brokers to trade EUR/USD

SPONSORED Discover the top brokers for trading EUR/USD in 2025. Our list features brokers with competitive spreads, fast execution, and powerful platforms. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, find the right partner to navigate the dynamic Forex market.

Read More

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures

Best Brokers of 2025