CNN Analysis: Trump Promises Oil Price Dive After Iran Deal – Market Sees Tough Road to Normality…
June 15, 2026
CNN Analysis: Trump Promises Oil Price Dive After Iran Deal – Market Sees Tough Road to Normality…
The US-Iran deal paved the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but restoring energy flows may prove much slower and more complicated than Washington hopes – Oil: Below $80 a barrel for the first time since March…
EDITORIAL: NIKOS MALAMAS
JUNE 15, 2026 – 3:20 PM
June 15, 2026
Takeaways…
Washington and Tehran reached a framework agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate Iran’s nuclear program.
Despite the decline in oil prices after the announcement, investors remain cautious and do not expect a return to pre-war prices before 2031.
The process of restoring navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is expected to take between two and six months due to the presence of mines and the limited availability of tankers.
The gradual restart of oil facilities and the need to replenish strategic reserves are expected to keep demand high for years to come.
Donald Trump “sold” the Americans a clear promise during the war with Iran: short-term economic sacrifices would be rewarded by a long-term increase in security and, ultimately, lower energy prices.
Now that Washington and Tehran have reached a framework agreement that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pave the way for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, attention is turning to the next big question: how quickly can oil and gas prices return to pre-war levels?
The US president has repeatedly said that energy prices will “drop like a rock” once peace is achieved and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is restored.
However, markets are much more cautious.
The market does not believe in a return to old levels
After the agreement was announced, Brent fell below $85 a barrel, having already lost about $25 from its highs a month ago.
At first glance, the market seems to confirm Trump’s narrative. But the picture changes when you look at futures contracts for the coming years.
Despite the significant drop in short-term prices, long-term contracts have moved little. In fact, the market does not discount a return to oil below $70 before the end of 2031.
The message is clear: investors believe that the effects of the war will continue to affect the market for several years to come. “We will find out what the new normal is,” says Dan Pickering of Pickering Energy Partners. “But we are not going to go back to $2.85 a gallon.”
Hormuz is not opening at the push of a button
One of the biggest obstacles is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz itself. In theory, some 200 million barrels of oil that have been stuck since late February could start flowing to international markets once shipping is restored.
In practice, however, the situation is much more complicated.
During the conflict, Iran mined parts of the sea passage, limiting safe passage to two narrow corridors, one near the Iranian coast and the other along the Omani coast.
The result is a serious bottleneck in a sea route that was already one of the narrowest and busiest in the world.
According to Jakob Larsen of BIMCO, the largest international shipowners’ association, ships will have to navigate with extreme caution to avoid collisions or groundings. The process of locating and neutralizing the mines is expected to take weeks, even with the help of the US Navy’s specialized capabilities.
Tanker Congestion
Even when the mines are removed, normalization will not be immediate. Tankers in the area will have to wait their turn to pass through the restricted shipping lanes. At the same time, hundreds of empty ships will have to return to the Persian Gulf to pick up new cargoes.
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