# Oil price drops below $90 a barrel after Iran says strait of Hormuz is open | Oil | The Guardian

> Brent crude fell more than 10% to $88.8 a barrel after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open. The price remains well below a peak of $119 last month but well above the $72 pre-war level.

- Date: 2026-04-17 · published 2026-04-17T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: geopolitics · region Middle East · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/8812-oil-price-drops-below-90-a-barrel-after-iran-says-strait-of-hormuz-is-open-oil
- Commodities: [Crude Oil (Brent)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BRENT.md), [Crude Oil (WTI)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WTI.md)

## Why it matters

Reopening expectations cut the geopolitical premium in crude, lowering energy and transport costs. Prices still far above pre-war levels keep input costs elevated for feed producers.

## Read by commodity

- WTI: bearish ▼
- BRENT: bearish ▼

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BRENT | 2026-04-17 | 1 | -15.4% | -3.7 | Confirms Brent falling more than 10% on Apr 17 after Iran said Hormuz was open, i.e. a supply-risk premium unwinding. |
| BRENT | 2026-04-20 | 5 | -16.1% | -3.2 | Confirms Brent falling more than 10% below $90 on the Hormuz-open announcement, supporting supply-risk premium unwinding. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BRENT | 2026-04-17 | [Oil prices: Oil tumbles more than 10% as Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open](https://feedsoft.ai/events/8808-oil-prices-oil-tumbles-more-than-10-as-iran-declares-strait-of-hormuz-open.md) | +1.3% | +0.6% |
| BRENT | 2026-04-17 | [Oil settles down 9% after Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/8807-oil-settles-down-9-after-iran-declares-strait-of-hormuz-open-reuters.md) | +1.3% | +0.6% |
| BRENT | 2026-05-06 | [Oil and gas prices fall sharply, driven by hopes of strait of Hormuz reopening – as it happened \| Business \| The Guardian](https://feedsoft.ai/events/9584-oil-and-gas-prices-fall-sharply-driven-by-hopes-of-strait-of-hormuz-reopening.md) | -2.3% | -11.1% |
| BRENT | 2026-03-08 | [Oil prices fall as Trump weighs taking over Strait of Hormuz](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6633-oil-prices-fall-as-trump-weighs-taking-over-strait-of-hormuz.md) | +9.5% | +25.6% |
| BRENT | 2026-05-05 | [Oil prices fall 4% as fragile US-Iran ceasefire holds, two ships pass through Strait of Hormuz \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/9581-oil-prices-fall-4-as-fragile-us-iran-ceasefire-holds-two-ships-pass-through.md) | -9.6% | -16.4% |
| WTI | 2026-04-17 | [Oil prices: Oil tumbles more than 10% as Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open](https://feedsoft.ai/events/8808-oil-prices-oil-tumbles-more-than-10-as-iran-declares-strait-of-hormuz-open.md) | +2.3% | +7.9% |
| WTI | 2026-04-17 | [Oil settles down 9% after Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/8807-oil-settles-down-9-after-iran-declares-strait-of-hormuz-open-reuters.md) | +2.3% | +7.9% |
| WTI | 2026-03-08 | [Oil prices fall as Trump weighs taking over Strait of Hormuz](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6633-oil-prices-fall-as-trump-weighs-taking-over-strait-of-hormuz.md) | +8.5% | +25.0% |

## Sources

- theguardian.com: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/17/oil-gas-prices-fall-iran-strait-of-hormuz-brent-crude-donald-trump

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.