Oil prices rise as Middle East peace talks stall

Oil prices rose over 1% on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, as hostilities in the Middle East erupted anew and talks between the United States and Iran showed little ​progress.

Brent futures gained $1.56, or 1.6%, to $97.56 a barrel at 0640 GMT, while ‌U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed $1.61, or 1.7%, to $95.37.

Both benchmarks settled at a one-week high in the previous session.

The U.S. military said Iran launched ballistic missiles towards regional neighbours Kuwait and Bahrain but failed to hit ​targets, adding that American forces conducted strikes on ​Iran’s Qeshm Island in response.

“The stalling in the U.S.-Iran negotiations and IEA ⁠warnings of critical global low stock levels are adding upward layers in risk ​premium in benchmark prices,” a senior analyst for oil at LSEG, Emril Jamil, said.

The head of the International Energy Agency’s oil industry and markets division said ​on Tuesday that global oil ​inventories could hit critical levels ahead of the peak summer demand period if stock draws continue at their current pace.

Traders awaited diplomatic developments after Iranian media reported on Tuesday that Tehran is ​reviewing a proposed agreement with the United States to halt the conflict.

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Iran has not communicated with the U.S. for a ‌few ⁠days, according to the reports, though Trump said negotiations had been going on continuously.

ANZ bank senior commodity strategist Daniel Hynes said any efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz face challenges as Iran has mined large portions of the vital waterway.

“There has been a slight ​tick up in ​vessels attempting the journey, ⁠but total transits remain significantly below pre-conflict levels,” Hynes told Reuters.

More than three months after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on ​Iran, the conflict is stuck in a stalemate, with a shaky ​ceasefire in ⁠place.

On the supply side, U.S. crude oil inventories fell for a seventh straight week last week, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute data released on Tuesday.