Oil Prices Retreat as Geopolitical Uncertainty and Technical Signals Trigger Selloff

Brent and WTI crude prices fell sharply over the last 24 hours as traders reacted to fresh uncertainty over U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict and technical signals pointed to exhaustion.

Official exchange data confirm Brent dropped from $75.47 to $73.51, while WTI slipped from $72.40 to $71.24. This move erased much of the week’s earlier gains and signaled a shift in sentiment after days of heightened risk premiums.

The immediate cause for the decline came from the White House, as President Trump delayed a decision on possible U.S. intervention in the Middle East for at least two weeks.

This announcement, reported by official sources, introduced a new layer of uncertainty and prompted traders to unwind positions built on expectations of imminent escalation.

Market analysts noted that similar delays in the past have led to temporary price pullbacks, as risk premiums adjust to the evolving political timeline.

Fundamentals remain mixed. OPEC’s recent production increase has not yet translated into a meaningful rise in global supply, as logistical and political constraints persist.

Meanwhile, demand growth forecasts remain subdued, with major banks projecting less than a million barrels per day of incremental demand for 2025.

Oil Markets Lose Steam Amid Dollar Strength

The macroeconomic backdrop shows continued pressure from a strong U.S. dollar and weak industrial activity in key consuming regions. Technical analysis of the attached charts reveals that both Brent and WTI have lost momentum.

On the daily chart, Brent’s RSI fell from overbought levels above 70 to around 63, signaling the rally’s exhaustion. The MACD histogram has started to flatten, and the signal line is converging, indicating waning bullish momentum.

Prices also pulled back from the upper Bollinger Band, a classic sign of a short-term top. The 4-hour chart confirms this shift, as both contracts broke below short-term moving averages and the RSI dipped below 60, increasing the likelihood of further consolidation or a deeper correction.

Support for Brent now sits near $73.35, with the next level at $71.56, while resistance has moved down to $74.29. WTI shows similar dynamics, with support at $71.15 and resistance at $71.89.

Volumes remained steady, but there was no evidence of new speculative inflows, as ETF activity stayed muted and open interest failed to rise. The real story behind the numbers is that traders are no longer willing to pay a premium for geopolitical risk without clear signals from Washington.

The technical setup, combined with softer fundamentals and a lack of fresh buying, forced a correction. Unless a new catalyst emerges—either from the geopolitical front or a surprise in supply-demand data—the market appears set for further range-bound trading or additional downside.

This shift underscores the oil market’s sensitivity to both headline risk and technical exhaustion, with participants quick to adjust positions as the narrative evolves.

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