Oil Slides Below $100 after Trump Announces 2-week Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and a 3D printed oil pipeline are seen in this illustration taken March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and a 3D printed oil pipeline are seen in this illustration taken March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Oil Slides Below $100 after Trump Announces 2-week Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and a 3D printed oil pipeline are seen in this illustration taken March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and a 3D printed oil pipeline are seen in this illustration taken March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Oil fell below $100 per barrel on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran that was subject to the immediate and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent futures fell $16.32, or 14.9%, to $92.95 a barrel at 0630 GMT, while WTI slid $18.16, or 16.1%, to $94.79 a barrel, Reuters reported.

Trump's turnaround came shortly before his deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world's oil transits, or face widespread attacks on ⁠its civilian infrastructure.

"This will ⁠be a double sided CEASEFIRE!" he wrote on social media, after posting earlier on Tuesday that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if his demands were not met.

Iran said it would halt its attacks if attacks against it stopped and that safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz would be possible for two weeks in coordination with Iranian armed forces, according to a ⁠statement by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Wednesday.

"Further price direction will hinge on whether talks translate into a durable agreement and a sustained normalization of flows through the strait, with volatility likely to persist during negotiations later this week," ING commodity strategists said on Wednesday.

Multiple Gulf states have identified missile launches and drone attacks or issued warnings to civilians to take shelter.

"Even with a peace deal, Iran may be emboldened to threaten the Strait of Hormuz more frequently in the future, and the market will price in heightened risk to the Strait of Hormuz going forward," MST Marquee analyst ⁠Saul Kavonic ⁠said.

The US-Israeli war with Iran saw the steepest monthly oil price rise in history in March of more than 50%.

"There is still scope for a significant geopolitical premium being entrenched for the foreseeable future based on the details of the comprehensive agreement," said Commonwealth Bank analyst Vivek Dhar in a note.

Trump said the US had received a 10-point proposal from Iran which he called a workable basis to negotiate and said the parties were very far along on reaching a definitive agreement for long-term peace. "It's a good start and could pave the way to a more permanent reopening - but lots of ifs still to work out," IG analyst Tony Sycamore said.



Container Ship Arrives in UK After Voyage from China via Arctic

The Dubai Tower, a Chinese cargo ship, arrives in Teesport, Britain, September 9, 2026. (Reuters)
The Dubai Tower, a Chinese cargo ship, arrives in Teesport, Britain, September 9, 2026. (Reuters)
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Container Ship Arrives in UK After Voyage from China via Arctic

The Dubai Tower, a Chinese cargo ship, arrives in Teesport, Britain, September 9, 2026. (Reuters)
The Dubai Tower, a Chinese cargo ship, arrives in Teesport, Britain, September 9, 2026. (Reuters)

A ‌container ship arrived in Britain on Wednesday after a landmark voyage from China via the Arctic, as part of plans for more vessels to use the route as a shorter and potentially safer alternative to the Suez Canal.

The Dubai ‌Tower arrived ‌at Teesport off England's ‌northeast coast ⁠after leaving eastern ⁠China on August 15.

The Arctic voyage, which is significantly quicker compared to freighters going through the Suez Canal or around the Cape of Good ⁠Hope, is intended to ‌be the ‌start of a regular container service ‌to Europe via the so-called ‌North Sea Route.

A South Korean container ship is also currently making a similar voyage, joining China and ‌Russia in having shipping firms testing cargo services along ⁠the ⁠route, which is more feasible due to faster melting of Arctic sea ice.

The route offers shorter journeys and avoids security risks in the Middle East, as the US war with Iran continues. But weather and sailing conditions can be unpredictable and its commercial feasibility is uncertain.


Riyadh Ranked Among Top 100 Global Innovation Clusters

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Riyadh Ranked Among Top 100 Global Innovation Clusters

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

The Global Innovation Index has ranked Riyadh among the top 100 innovation clusters worldwide for 2026, making it the only Gulf city to attain this classification.

Riyadh placed 92nd globally, with key metrics including 419 venture capital deals in innovation and 162 international patent applications filed.

The report highlighted the main entities contributing to the capital's position in research and innovation. In research, King Saud University, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and Prince Sultan University led the efforts, while SABIC and Aramco spearheaded innovation contributions.

The ranking reflects the Kingdom's integrated research and innovation ecosystem, supporting researchers and innovators in line with Saudi Vision 2030.


Türkiye to Start Oil-Targeted Drilling in Western Black Sea Soon, Minister Says

Türkiye's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar speaks as he meets with reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 18, 2026. (Reuters)
Türkiye's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar speaks as he meets with reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 18, 2026. (Reuters)
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Türkiye to Start Oil-Targeted Drilling in Western Black Sea Soon, Minister Says

Türkiye's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar speaks as he meets with reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 18, 2026. (Reuters)
Türkiye's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar speaks as he meets with reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 18, 2026. (Reuters)

Türkiye will soon begin drilling a challenging oil-targeted well in the western Black Sea, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said ‌on Wednesday.

"We ‌will soon ‌begin ⁠drilling an oil-targeted ⁠well in the western Black Sea. It will be a difficult ⁠drilling operation and will ‌take ‌some time," ‌Bayraktar told broadcaster ‌CNBC-e.

Türkiye has previously said it plans six exploration ‌wells across the western, central and eastern ⁠Black ⁠Sea in 2026 as it seeks new oil and natural gas discoveries.