WTI Price Forecast: Fears of fresh escalation in Middle East conflicts boost prices above $100

The Oil price jumps to near $100 as energy supply risks heighten further.
The US and Israel signal that they are prepared for fresh attacks on Iran.
Iran-backed Houthis attacks Saudi’s biggest oil refinery.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI), futures on NYMEX, are up 1.42% to near $101.00 during the European trade on Wednesday. The oil prices strengthen as warnings from the United States (US) and Israel that they prepared for attacking Iran again post elections in their respective economies have prompted fears of fresh escalation in Middle East conflicts.

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Brent climbs as Iran risk comes back into focus

Strategists at Deutsche Bank point out that Brent crude is extending its recent gains, noting that it is “+1.48% higher again overnight as the WSJ reported the Trump administration warning Gulf states to be prepared for a new operation against Iran after the midterms.” Adding to the geopolitical bid, Danske Bank’s research team highlights that, in his post-election speech, “Netanyahu raised the prospects of renewed joint action with President Trump against Iran.”

Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank has also highlighted that tighter energy supply in the US has also lend strength to the oil price. “The API data showed a decline in US crude inventories of around 2 million barrels last week, pointing to continued tighter supply,” bank wrote in a note.

Additionally, rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have also triggered energy supply risks.

On Tuesday, a military spokesperson from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said that it launched a ballistic missile toward the Ras Tanura oil refinery in eastern Saudi Arabia, the kingdom’s largest refinery, Reuters report.

WTI Technical Analysis

In the daily chart, WTI US Oil trades near $101, maintaining a bullish near-term bias as price holds decisively above the 20-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $96.52. The short-term trend structure remains constructive while spot stays above this dynamic support, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) near 63 hinting at firm, but not yet overbought, upside momentum.

On the downside, immediate support is seen at the 20-day EMA near $96.52, where a daily close below would signal fading bullish control and expose a deeper corrective phase. Looking up, the October 23 high at $103.28 is the immediate hurdle before the crucial barrier of May 18 high at $104.74.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)

WTI Oil FAQs

What is WTI Oil?

WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.

What factors drive the price of WTI Oil?

Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.

How does inventory data impact the price of WTI Oil

The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.

How does OPEC influence the price of WTI Oil?

OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.

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