Bulletin · Euro Weeks
By Editorial Dept - Sep 11, 2026, 7:30 AM CDT October WTI crude oil futures are trading at $101.26 early Friday, up $10.04 or 11.01% for the week so far. The contract traded as low as $90.87 before reaching $104.46, its strongest level since May. Last week, the market was testing whether escorted cargoes and alternate routes could keep enough Gulf oil moving to reduce the war premium.
This week, tanker attacks increased around the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi energy facilities came under attack, and the supply threat spread toward the Red Sea. WTI did not break $100 because every Middle East barrel disappeared. It broke $100 because the number of barrels that cannot reach the market keeps growing while the routes available to move the remaining supply are getting more dangerous.
The Supply Threat Spread Beyond Hormuz The week started with another escalation between U.S. and Iranian forces. U.S. forces struck Iranian oil tankers after attacks targeting American warships. Iran later said it attacked ships near the Strait of Hormuz after additional U.S. strikes on Iranian tankers.
Hormuz remained at the center of the trade, but the threat expanded when Houthi forces attacked Saudi energy facilities and seized the port of Mocha on Yemen's Red Sea coast. That put shipping near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait back in focus. Hormuz was already unreliable.
Now another route used to move Middle East oil is under pressure. Middle East Shut-Ins Reached 6.7 Million Barrels Per Day Middle East crude... COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP (FREE) GLOBAL ENERGY ALERT ( $697 $279 PER YEAR) Breaking energy stories before they hit the mainstream media Top quality analysis from industry veterans Exclusive investment opportunities Digestible data breakdowns Geopolitical insights from our network of over 600 operatives Risk-free 30-day money back guarantee
