Crude oil plunged as much as 11% on Monday after President Donald Trump said he was “in no rush” to resume military strikes on Iran and Tehran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz within two days if Washington first meets its demands. US West Texas Intermediate crude settled down 7.36%, or $7.66, at $96.46 a barrel, while Brent fell below $104 as Trump wrote on Truth Social that prices were “dropping like a rock, down almost $10 a Barrel” because “Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiators had shortened Tehran’s proposed implementation timeline to two days from seven, under which the US would lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waive oil sanctions, reduce regional military forces to prewar levels, and unfreeze assets including $6 billion held in Qatar on the first day before Iran restores shipping through the strait on the second. Earlier Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had granted the government new authority to pursue a diplomatic resolution, though Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei ruled out shipping Iran’s 60% enriched uranium stockpile to a third country.
