Physical North Sea crude oil prices rose to a record high on the back of Iran's continued control of the Strait of Hormuz, adding to market anxiety, <a href="http://ft.com/content/f04ad855-81e3-49c5-827e-d3c4acb901c9">says the</a> Financial Times (FT).

North Sea Forties Blend oil prices hit a high due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz

The cost of Brent crude oil fell sharply and was below $96 per barrel after exceeding $99 during trading. And stocks in the U.S. turned around and went from falling to active growth. Markets were supported by Israel's decision to enter talks with Lebanon. The two countries' ongoing conflict has been a major threat to the US-Iran truce.

Brent drops below $96, US stocks rise: Israel will go for dialog with Lebanon

Ship traffic through the key artery for energy supplies - the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran - remains at a minimum level despite the declared <a href="https://oninvest.com/article/ssa-i-iran-soglasilis-na-dvuhnedel-noe-peremirie-cena-nefti-wti-ruhnula-na-16">truce</a> between the U.S. and Iran, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/tankers-return-to-hormuz-ceasefire-disruption-to-last-weeks.html">writes</a>. According to experts in shipping and maritime transportation, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will not be restored to pre-war levels in the near future.

"Weeks, if not months": analysts on timeline for normalization of the Strait of Hormuz operation

"The situation remains unstable," analysts stated. On April 9 - after the maximum collapse in six years amid the truce in the Middle East - oil prices began to rise again

Goldman expects Brent at $100 all the way to 2026 if the Strait of Hormuz doesn't open for another month

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US President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on NATO and revisited the Greenland issue amid disagreements with allies over war with Iran, while highlighting the fragility of a truce in the Middle East. OpenAI is gearing up for an IPO with retail investors and a massive infrastructure investment. On these and other topics - in our review of key events for the morning of April 9.

Top story for this morning: Trump pressures NATO, Anthropic denied lifting Pentagon sanctions

Physical North Sea crude oil prices have risen sharply, suggesting a continued supply shortage in the market, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-08/key-oil-prices-soar-showing-supply-is-tight-despite-iran-war-ceasefire?embedded-checkout=true">notes</a>. Despite a U.S.-Iran truce to restore traffic in the key Strait of Hormuz for global trade and already causing the value of oil futures to collapse, real oil supplies remain expensive and are selling at a large premium to core prices, the agency said.

North Sea oil price premiums jump despite US-Iran truce

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US President Donald Trump <a href="https://oninvest.com/article/ssa-i-iran-soglasilis-na-dvuhnedel-noe-peremirie-cena-nefti-wti-ruhnula-na-16">agreed to delay</a> strikes on Iran for two weeks on the condition that the Strait of Hormuz be opened, causing prices to fall. Anthropic announced a partnership with major IT companies to defend against AI cyberattacks and unveiled a model that identifies thousands of vulnerabilities. These and other topics - in our review of key events by the morning of April 8.

IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva warned of the consequences of the US war with Iran: accelerating inflation and slowing global economic growth

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Observations by a Citrini Research employee confirmed the existence of a "shadow checkpoint" in the Gulf

The market-crashing Citrini sent an analyst to the Strait of Hormuz. What did he find out?

Oil prices went into negative territory on April 7 relative to the previous close - Brent is trading below $110 per barrel, U.S. WTI crude futures also cut gains and are at $112.3.

Brent crude oil slips to $110 as Trump's deadline on Iran approaches

The U.S. president threatened that Iran could be "destroyed" if it does not agree to Washington's proposed truce terms on April 7

Oil nears four-year peaks before Trump's Iran deadline expires

Major U.S. stock indexes, despite volatility during the day amid U.S. and Iranian statements, managed to stay in the green zone, continuing the growth that began last week. The S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq Composite ended up posting their longest series of gains since January, according to Dow Jones Market Data <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-s-p-500-and-nasdaq-set-for-mixed-start-as-iran-war-stretches-into-sixth-week?mod=home_lead">cited</a> by MarketWatch.