09:26 - 19.08.2026

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August 19, Fineko/abc.az. Oil prices advanced for a fourth consecutive session amid conflicting statements from the US and Iran regarding shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude rose 0.29% to $91.28, while WTI gained 37 cents to $85.31, both reaching their highest levels since July 24.

Due to regional risks, two major Chinese shipping lines have halted tanker passage through the Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb straits, consolidating cargoes outside the Gulf.

API data showed a drop in US crude inventories. The market now awaits official EIA figures, with analysts predicting a 600,000-barrel decline.