Post #16156

Can Peace Talks Happen This Week? WTI whipsawed between 92.33 and 98.40 today — a $6 intraday range driven entirely by headlines. Brent touched $107 on the escalation spike before reversing hard. Price consolidating around $96. The escalation headlines hit all at once — Trump ordered mine-clearing operations with shoot-to-kill rules, Iran's top negotiator reportedly quit, air defenses engaged in Tehran, and Israel signaled readiness to resume the war. Then the reversal: Iran's FM Aragchi heading to Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow for talks. Oil dropped $3 in minutes. This is the pattern. Escalate to the brink, pull back with a diplomatic headline. Rinse, repeat. The market's been riding this seesaw for weeks and the moves are getting more violent as positioning thins out. Until there's a deal or a genuine escalation beyond posturing, oil stays headline-driven. We have the potential this weekend for some kind of a meaningful resolution. - Alan