On January 13, the price of March futures for Brent crude oil on the London ICE exchange exceeded $65 per barrel for the first time since November 18. This trend at the beginning of the year is linked to the U.S. operation in Venezuela and concerns surrounding events in Iran, which have raised market participants' worries about oil supply.
Yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the imposition of secondary sanctions against Iran's trading partners, including those purchasing Iranian oil. For countries found to be circumventing these restrictions, the tariff on transactions with American companies will be 25 percent.
Experts also do not rule out the possibility of armed intervention by the U.S., which could lead to unpredictable consequences, including restrictions on oil supplies from the Persian Gulf region.
Previously, analysts from Goldman Sachs suggested that by the end of 2026, the price of Brent oil could drop to $54 per barrel, with an average price for the year of $56. They consider the geopolitical situation to be the main risk for the realization of this forecast.
