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strikeSep 8, 2026

Goldman Sachs’ big warning! Oil prices could soar to $120 if attacks on shipping continue in Hormuz Strait

Summary

Daan Struyven, co-head of global commodities research at Goldman Sachs, said in an interview to Bloomberg that recent developments suggest the risk of widening and worsening shipping disruptions has become an important concern. The situation worsened over the weekend after the US said it had struck three Iranian oil tankers, following attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on two US warships with ballistic missiles. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf subsequently said the era of “proportionate responses” was over and warned that Iran’s future retaliation would be “faster, heavier and more painful.” Also read: Trump forecasts oil below $2 a gallon after US ‘victory’ over Iran Iran also said it would announce a new “exclusion zone” in the coming days. The zone would start from the line of the US naval blockade, extend towards the Strait of Hormuz and continue into the Persian Gulf. Mohsen Rezaei, the new head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said any ship entering the area with the intention of passing through the Strait of Hormuz and identified by Iran would be placed on its sanctions list. Goldman Sachs sees “meaningful upside to crude oil prices”, Struyven said, while also suggesting that investors should bet on higher natural gas and refined product prices. In gas and fuels, he said, the supply shocks are bigger than those in the crude market. Oil price todayOil prices extended their gains on Tuesday as the risk of a prolonged Middle East conflict increased after Iran threatened retaliation against any further US attacks on its assets, raising concerns about possible disruptions to crude supplies. Brent crude futures rose $1.21 or 1.25% to $98.30 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained $2.10 or 2.30% to $93.63 a barrel. Brent had climbed to its highest level since July 24 in the previous session as traders continued to price at a risk premium amid rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments. Iran said on Monday that energy infrastructure across the Gulf, including US oil and gas interests, could be vulnerable. The warning came after tit-for-tat strikes over the weekend, with no indication of a diplomatic breakthrough. Read more: India adds new crude suppliers, but Russia-led 5 countries retain grip on oil imports What are other experts saying?The length of the disruption will be crucial for oil prices. JPMorgan estimates that every additional month of disruption could add around $7 to $8 a barrel to Brent prices. If the disruption continues for three months, the bank expects average monthly Brent prices to reach around $114 a barrel. ANZ analysts have also lifted their short-term Brent forecast to $95 a barrel and warned that prices could move higher if the Middle East conflict intensifies. They said a prolonged standoff involving calibrated military action by the US and Iran appeared to be the most likely scenario and could delay the return of full Middle East supply. The front-month Brent contract is trading at a premium of around $20 over the October 2027 contract, or roughly a fifth of its price. This reflects the market paying a steep premium for barrels available today compared with barrels for next year. The bias in Brent remains positive, according to Anindya Bannerjee, Head of Commodity and Currency Research at Kotak Securities. Banerjee said $90 is now a strong floor for Brent, while $102 is the major resistance level. A break above $102 could trigger significant upside momentum, with prices potentially moving towards $115-$116. Until then, Brent is expected to trade with a positive bias below that cap. (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times.) (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel) (What's moving Sensex and Nifty Track latest market news, stock tips, Budget 2025, Share Market on Budget 2025 and expert advice, on ETMarkets. Also, ETMarkets.com is now on Telegram. For fastest news alerts on financial markets, investment strategies and stocks alerts, subscribe to our Telegram feeds .) Subscribe to ET Prime and read the Economic Times ePaper Online.and Sensex Today. Top Trending Stocks: SBI Share Price, Axis Bank Share Price, HDFC Bank Share Price, Infosys Share Price, Wipro Share Price, NTPC Share Price (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel) (What's moving Sensex and Nifty Track latest market news, stock tips, Budget 2025, Share Market on Budget 2025 and expert advice, on ETMarkets. Also, ETMarkets.com is now on Telegram. For fastest news alerts on financial markets, investment strategies and stocks alerts, subscribe to our Telegram feeds .) Subscribe to ET Prime and read the Economic Times ePaper Online.and Sensex Today. Top Trending Stocks: SBI Share Price, Axis Bank Share Price, HDFC Bank Share Price, Infosys Share Price, Wipro Share Price, NTPC Share Price

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  • Veer SharmaBy Veer Sharma

    Daan Struyven, co-head of global commodities research at Goldman Sachs, said in an interview to Bloomberg that recent developments suggest the risk of widening and worsening shipping disruptions has become an important concern. The situation worsened over the weekend after the US

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