Stocks surged and oil prices plunged sharply on Friday, with US crude for May delivery falling more than 10% after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz “completely open.”
The oil selloff came as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon raised hopes that disrupted supply could return to market, though analysts cautioned that as much as 13 million barrels per day remains impacted, keeping underlying conditions tight.
The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) conducts U.S. blockade operations in the Arabian Sea. CENTCOM / SWNS
Stocks surged, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumping over 800 points, or 1.7%, to 49,420 as investors cheered signs that shipping could resume through the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude dropped 11% to $88 per barrel. West Texas International declined 10% to $81.
The S&P 500 rose 1% to 7,115 and the Nasdaq gained 1.2% to 24,399, while the VIX slipped 1.56% — signaling easing market anxiety as traders bet tensions in the Middle East may cool.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is now “completely open” to commercial shipping during the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, a move that immediately calmed global markets and triggered a sharp selloff in oil.
“In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran,” Aragchi wrote on X.
President Trump said Thursday that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, which went into effect at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
Drivers are getting a modest reprieve at the pump, with the national average price for regular gas slipping 7 cents over the past week to about $4.09 per gallon as oil prices ease.
Still, prices remain elevated compared to recent months, with the current national average up sharply from $3.72 a month ago and $3.17 a year ago.
US demand is also picking up, rising to 9.08 million barrels per day last week, even as total domestic gasoline inventories fell to 232.9 million barrels, according to AAA.
That combination of stronger consumption and tightening supply could limit how much further prices fall in the near term.
