{"id":9801,"date":"2026-03-12T15:28:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T11:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/business\/brent-nears-100-amid-sea-attacks\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T01:01:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T21:01:30","slug":"brent-nears-100-amid-sea-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/business\/brent-nears-100-amid-sea-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Brent Crude Prices Approach $100: Implications for Investors Amid Rising Maritime Attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitv3sog-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OMAN OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogh\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Websites For <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Omani Businesses.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogs\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Empower your brand with custom digital solutions designed for high conversion and market dominance.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbl\"><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Responsive designs built for growth<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Fast loading with smart automation<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitv3sogbtn\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Build Your Free Website <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Oil Prices Surge Amid Escalating Conflict in the Middle East<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>LONDON: Oil prices jumped nearly <strong>6 percent<\/strong> on Thursday as Iran intensified attacks on shipping and energy facilities throughout the Middle East, heightening concerns over a prolonged conflict and potential disruptions to oil flow through the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Brent crude futures increased by <strong>$5.95<\/strong>, or <strong>6.47 percent<\/strong>, reaching <strong>$97.93 per barrel<\/strong> by <strong>0915 GMT<\/strong>, after briefly touching <strong>$100<\/strong> earlier in the session. Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose <strong>$5.25<\/strong>, or <strong>6 percent<\/strong>, to settle at <strong>$92.50<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier in the week, Brent had surged to <strong>$119.50 per barrel<\/strong>, its highest level since mid-2022, before retreating following comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested the conflict with Iran might soon end.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>International Energy Agency (IEA)<\/strong> reported on Thursday that the ongoing war in the Middle East marks the most significant oil supply disruption in the history of global markets. This announcement came a day after the agency authorized the release of a record <strong>400 million barrels<\/strong> from strategic reserves.<\/p>\n<p>In its latest monthly oil market report, the IEA noted that Gulf producers in the Middle East have reduced output by at least <strong>10 million barrels per day<\/strong>, which is nearly <strong>10 percent<\/strong> of global demand, due to the conflict. Analysts argue that this emergency stockpile release may provide limited relief to the markets.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe market is reacting skeptically to the IEA&#8217;s release because the timing remains uncertain,\u201d noted <strong>John Evans<\/strong>, an analyst at PVM. He emphasized that if the release is distributed over <strong>90 days<\/strong>, it would equate to approximately <strong>4.5 million barrels per day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Goldman Sachs<\/strong> projects Brent crude will average <strong>$98 per barrel<\/strong> in March and April before potentially dropping to <strong>$71<\/strong> by the fourth quarter. However, they cautioned that if oil transport through the Strait of Hormuz is halted for a month, prices could average <strong>$110<\/strong> during March and April.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ING analysts<\/strong> indicated that oil prices are unlikely to sustain a downward trend unless shipping through the Strait resumes. \u201cThe only scenario that can lead to sustained lower oil prices is if oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz are reinstated,\u201d they stated. \u201cFailure to achieve this could mean that market highs are still ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the ground, Iranian boats laden with explosives reportedly targeted two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters on Wednesday, setting them ablaze and resulting in one crew member&#8217;s death, according to maritime security sources and risk consultancies. This incident followed earlier reports of projectiles striking four vessels in Gulf waters.<\/p>\n<p>In a related development, sources revealed that China has ordered an immediate halt to refined fuel exports for March to ensure domestic supply security amid the escalating conflict. \u2014 Reuters<\/p>\n<p><style>\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-shimmer{0%,100%{opacity:0.3;transform:scaleX(0.4)}50%{opacity:1;transform:scaleX(1)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-glow{0%,100%{opacity:0.6}50%{opacity:1}}\r\n@keyframes 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitl8gak-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakh\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Your Website <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Should Sell.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gaks\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Custom-built websites with smart automation & AI-powered features.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbl\"><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>SEO-optimized & lightning fast<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Smart features built for your business<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitl8gakct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitl8gakbtn\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Get Free Consultation <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Special Analysis by Omanet | Navigate Oman&#8217;s Market<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The recent surge in <strong>oil prices driven by Middle Eastern tensions<\/strong> presents significant opportunities for Omani businesses, particularly in the energy sector. However, the <strong>risk of prolonged conflicts disrupting oil flows<\/strong> through the Strait of Hormuz could destabilize supply chains and elevate costs. <strong>Smart investors should consider diversifying into renewable energy and exploring alternatives to mitigate potential risks<\/strong> while capitalizing on short-term gains from the volatile oil market.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oil prices surged about 6% as Iran intensified attacks on shipping in the Middle East, raising fears of conflict and disruptions in oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude rose to $97.93, with forecasts suggesting potential price spikes if disruptions continue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[114],"tags":[3624,328,3692],"class_list":["post-9801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-iran-conflict","tag-oil-prices","tag-strait-of-hormuz"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3320301.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9801"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9803,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9801\/revisions\/9803"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}