Reopening

• France's defense ministry announced 35 countries participating in military discussions for a defensive mission to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. • The talks address Iran's threats to toll or block the vital waterway, critical for global energy flows. • Initiative gains traction amid US pressure on allies, potentially easing oil price spikes affecting US consumers.

Defence chiefs have been discussing how to unblock the conduit for about a fifth of the world’s oil suppliesThe UK has offered to host an international security summit to draw up a “viable, collective plan” to reopen the strait of Hormuz as economic fallout from the Iran conflict continues.Defence chiefs have been discussing how they could unblock the vital shipping lane, through which about 20% of global oil supplies usually pass, amid the Middle East crisis unleashed by the US and Israel. Continue reading...

• West Texas Intermediate crude topped $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022 in early Monday trading, while Brent held above $102, driven by ongoing Middle East conflict in the Strait of Hormuz entering its third week. • Several tankers successfully transited the waterway over the weekend, lifting market sentiment; however, WTI pulled back to $95 by late trading, down over 3%, as President Trump pressured NATO allies to help break Iran's blockade. • The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq rose as investors weighed the dual impact of potential Hormuz reopening against inflation concerns; Federal Reserve officials begin a two-day policy meeting this week amid uncertainty over rate path decisions.