UK PM Starmer: Impact of Iran war will affect the UK's future
United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Starmer said during European trading hours on Wednesday that the ongoing war in the Middle East will affect the future of our economy. Starmer expresses willingness to take the leadership role in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Additional remarks
The UK is well placed to weather the effects of the Iran war.
Exploring every diplomatic avenue to reopen Hormuz.
It will not be easy to make the Hormuz Strait safe.
Foreign secretary to host meeting of 35 counterparts.
The UK is ready to provide clear and calm leadership.
In the coming weeks, we will announce a new summit with our EU partners.
Want to be more ambitious in EU cooperation.
Fuel duty will remain where it is until September.
Whatever the pressure on me and others, I will act in the British national interest.
Need closer ties with Europe on defense and security.
De-escalation in Iran won't necessarily ease Hormuz.
Prepared to take leadership role in reopening Hormuz.
WTI Oil price action
WTI Oil price recovers half of its early losses, but is still 1.3% down to near $95.50. The oil price attracts slight bids as major global leaders, including UK PM Keir Starmer, have warned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz would keep energy supply disrupted.
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.
Author
Sagar Dua
FXStreet
Sagar Dua is associated with the financial markets from his college days. Along with pursuing post-graduation in Commerce in 2014, he started his markets training with chart analysis.
