
Oil surges over 6% after Trump declares Iran ceasefire ‘over’
Brent crude jumps to $78.80 as US revokes Iranian oil licence and both sides exchange strikes, threatening Strait of Hormuz transit.
President Donald Trump declared the interim ceasefire with Iran “over” during a NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, triggering a more than 6% surge in global oil prices. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose to $78.80 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate climbed to $75.00. Stock futures fell, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average pointing to a 1% drop at the open, and yields on 10-year US Treasuries rose to a one-month high of 4.56% as investors priced in renewed inflation risk.
The spike followed an overnight exchange of military strikes. US Central Command said it hit more than 80 targets in Iran with precision munitions in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards retaliated by striking 85 US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait. Washington also revoked General License X, the waiver that had permitted Iranian oil sales as part of the June memorandum of understanding, and gave Tehran until 17 July to wind down transactions. Ship-tracking data showed at least four tankers turning away from the strait, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supply normally transits.
European equity markets fell sharply, with the Stoxx 600 down 1.6% and Germany’s DAX losing 2.1%. In Asia, South Korea’s Kospi dropped 5.4%, dragged lower by a sell-off in AI-related semiconductor stocks, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 3% on bargain-hunting in Chinese tech shares. Analysts in London noted that the renewed hostilities forced markets to reprice the risk of prolonged disruption to Hormuz shipping, just as data showed US Strategic Petroleum Reserve inventories at their lowest since 1983, leaving the global system more exposed to supply shocks.
The 60-day negotiation window agreed in June had already seen fragile compliance, with Iran insisting on controlling vessel routes and charging future transit fees. Trump said he considered further talks “a waste of time” but did not formally halt them. The immediate focus now turns to the 17 July deadline for winding down Iranian oil sales and whether the remaining diplomatic channels can prevent a full collapse of the framework before the August expiry of the negotiation period.
| Russian & CIS press | −0.30 | critical |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic / Anglosphere press | +0.20 | neutral |
| Arab Gulf press | 0.00 | neutral |
Russia projects the responsibility for the escalation onto Washington, accusing Trump of sabotaging the truce.
Uses direct quotation of Trump's words to build a linear causality between his statements and the price collapse, without mentioning the Iranian attacks on ships.
The Russian bloc omits the fact that the US strikes were a response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels, focusing solely on Trump's statements.
The United States acts to defend freedom of navigation, responding forcefully to Iranian attacks.
Uses a quote from a US official to legitimize the actions as reactive and proportionate, omitting the context of the fragile truce.
The Atlantic bloc omits Trump's statements about the end of the truce and the role of Iranian attacks as a pretext, presenting US actions as purely reactive.
The Gulf countries monitor the escalation with apprehension, fearing for the security of their own exports.
Uses local market data (Murban) and a language of 'fears' to create a sense of shared vulnerability, without assigning blame.
The Gulf bloc omits the US revocation of Iran's oil sales license and Trump's statements, focusing only on the attacks on ships and the market reaction.
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