On March 11, international oil prices experienced sharp fluctuations, staging a “plunge-then-rebound” roller coaster, with the core driving force still being the repeated twists and turns of U.S.-Iran geopolitical tensions. As of 14:00 today, WTI crude oil futures were quoted at $86 per barrel, up 4.86% intraday, after briefly falling below $77 per barrel in the morning, with an intraday drop of 18.84% at one point; Brent crude oil fluctuated in tandem, recovering gradually after falling below $82 per barrel, with the intraday decline narrowing to 1.23%.

The sharp volatility in oil prices this time stems from the inconsistency of U.S. official statements. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright mistakenly posted that U.S. troops had escorted oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, triggering market expectations of eased energy supply and directly leading to a sharp drop in oil prices; the White House later clarified that the news was false, and coupled with Trump’s warning that Iran would face “unprecedented military consequences” if it laid mines, oil prices rebounded sharply. Meanwhile, U.S. API crude oil inventories for the week ending March 6 decreased by 1.678 million barrels, far lower than the expected increase of 1.38 million barrels, further supporting the recovery of oil prices.

Market analysis points out that the current oil market is still dominated by geopolitical risks, and the shipping situation in the Strait of Hormuz directly affects global energy supply. Going forward, it is necessary to focus on the crude oil market monthly report released by OPEC today and the G7 meeting’s discussion on the Middle East situation, as these factors will continue to influence oil price trends. For investors, oil prices are highly volatile in the short term, so it is necessary to be vigilant against sudden changes in geopolitical news and cautiously deploy related energy varieties.