Sunday, May 24, 2026

[International Oil Prices] Fall by Around 2% on Hopes of a U.S.-Iran Deal

Input
2026-05-22 04:44:26
Updated
2026-05-22 04:44:26
[Financial News]  \r\n
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International oil prices, which had surged after reports on the 21st local time that Iran's supreme leader had ordered a ban on taking enriched uranium out of the country, ended down by around 2% after an Iranian official later denied the report. The signboard showing fuel prices in front of a gas station in Encinitas, California, United States of America, on the 11th. Reuters
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International oil prices fell by around 2% on the 21st local time.
Expectations that the United States of America and Iran would reach an agreement pushed prices lower.
July Brent Crude Oil, the global benchmark, closed at $102.58 per barrel, down $2.44, or 2.32%, from the previous session.
July West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI), the U.S. benchmark, finished at $96.35 per barrel, down $1.91, or 1.94%.
At one point, prices had jumped by more than 3%.
Reuters reported that Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, had issued an order banning the export of enriched uranium, which sent prices higher.
That directive was incompatible with the stance of U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the purpose of the war was to eliminate Iran's nuclear weapons development base.
However, according to Al Jazeera and other outlets, a senior Iranian official later denied the report, saying it was not true.
The market then turned weak again on expectations that the two sides would reach an agreement.
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dympna@fnnews.com Song Kyung-jae Reporter