The Brent crude oil barrel, a benchmark for Europe, was down more than 4% on Friday, to $72.4, thus returning to levels similar to those recorded in the days prior to the start of the United States and Iran offensive on February 28.
At the beginning of the session, Brent had started at around $75 per barrel, despite having moved at similar levels to Friday's on the previous day, after becoming more expensive due to an attack on a ship in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz that led to the halting of the ship evacuation plan in the area.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), dependent on the British Navy, confirmed an incident on Thursday afternoon at 7.5 nautical miles—about 14 kilometers—southeast of Dahit, in Oman.
Immediately after, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) decided to suspend the plan announced days ago to evacuate 11,000 sailors who remain trapped in the waters of the strait. The decision was made "to ensure a coordinated approach and the safety of navigation" in the area and will remain in effect "until greater clarity is obtained," according to IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Domínguez.
In parallel, WTI crude, a benchmark in the United States, suffered a similar drop of 4%, and once again broke the threshold of $70, to stand at around $69 per barrel.
Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump called Thursday's attack on the ship a "stupid violation" of the preliminary agreement reached last week. "Obviously, this is a stupid violation of our ceasefire agreement," Trump said in a message posted on social media.
For their part, Iranian authorities have reiterated in recent days that the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be taken for granted without coordination with Tehran, criticizing the creation of "parallel routes" outside the Islamic Republic.
The administration of the Strait of Hormuz is precisely one of the points of friction between Iran and Oman. The latter country stressed on Thursday that it will not impose fees for maritime transit, after analyzing with Tehran the possibility of applying tolls to ships crossing this strategic enclave.