Oil prices dipped on Friday after the White House postponed a decision on potential U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, though they stayed on track for a third straight weekly gain.
Brent crude futures dropped $2, or 2.5%, to $76.85 a barrel by 06:48 GMT, but remained poised for a weekly gain of over 3%, according to Reuters.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for July, which expires on Friday and did not settle on Thursday due to a U.S. holiday, slipped 14 cents, or 0.2%, to $75.
The more actively traded August contract rose 0.3%, or 19 cents, to $73.69.
Prices had surged nearly 3% on Thursday after Israel struck nuclear sites in Iran and Iran responded with missile and drone attacks, as the week-long conflict between the two nations showed no signs of easing.
“Oil prices surged amid fears of increased U.S. involvement in Israel’s conflict with Iran. However, the White House press secretary later suggested there was still time for de-escalation,” said Phil Flynn, analyst at The Price Futures Group.
“The “two-week deadline” is a tactic Trump has used in other key decisions. Often these deadlines expire without concrete action,.. which would see the crude oil price remain elevated and potentially build on recent gains,” said Tony Sycamore, analyst at IG.
Iran, the third-largest producer in OPEC, remains a key player in global oil supply.
Brent futures gave up some of the previous session’s gains after the White House indicated that President Donald Trump would decide within two weeks whether the U.S. will intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict.