Oil tumbled more than 6 per cent at the start of the week after Israeli strikes against targets in Iran avoided the OPEC member’s crude facilities, raising the prospect for easing hostilities in the region.

Brent fell below $72 (€66) a barrel and West Texas Intermediate was near $68. Israeli jets struck military targets across Iran on Saturday, delivering on a vow to retaliate for a missile barrage at the start of the month, though the attack was more restrained than expected.

The strike avoided oil, nuclear and civilian infrastructure, in line with a request from US president Joe Biden’s administration.

There were signs of the market’s political risk premium fading across the board. In addition to falling prices, bullish options contracts were no longer trading at premiums to bearish ones, as they had done since the aftermath of the Iranian missile attack. Citigroup cut its Brent price forecasts, citing lower risks from the conflict in the Middle East.

Iran’s state media said that the country’s oil facilities were working normally, though the country’s foreign ministry said the nature of its response will correspond to the type of attack carried out.

Iran’s missile attack on October 1st restored a war premium to oil that at times pushed the global Brent benchmark above $80 a barrel earlier this month.

Still, prices are almost $20 lower than the first session after the October 7th attack that sparked the conflict last year, as lacklustre Chinese demand and expectations of oversupply early next year has pressured prices in recent months.

Monday’s slump comes ahead of a crucial few weeks for prices, with a host of influential events looming, including the US election.

OPEC+ plans to start gradually reviving oil production in December, and the market is watching for any change to that timeline.

Though the planned output increase in the near-term is small, it will add supplies to a market that the International Energy Agency forecasts won’t be in need of them. - Bloomberg