New York/IBNS: Oil prices fell by about $4 per barrel on Monday (Oct. 28) after Israels weekend counterstrike on Iran left key oil and nuclear sites untouched, easing concerns over potential disruptions to energy supplies.
By 1445 GMT, Brent crude futures had dropped $4.13, or 5.43%, to $71.92 per barrel, while US WTI crude fell $4.04, or 5.63 percent, to $67.74 per barrel.
Both benchmarks hit their lowest levels since October 1 during the trading sessions opening.
Last week, oil prices had surged 4 percent amid market volatility driven by uncertainty over the US election and speculation about Israels possible response to Irans October 1 missile strike.
Israel conducted three pre-dawn waves of airstrikes on Saturday, targeting missile production facilities and military sites near Tehran and across western Iran.
These strikes marked a sharp escalation in Israeli-Iranian tensions but were more focused on military objectives than initially expected by US officials, reducing fears of attacks on Irans nuclear or oil infrastructure.
Analysts observed that the risk premium factored into oil prices began to fade following the limited scope of Israels retaliatory action.
Citi lowered its Brent crude price forecast for the next three months to $70 per barrel from $74, citing reduced geopolitical risk in the near term, as per a note led by Max Layton.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies left their oil production policy unchanged last month, with plans to increase output in December.
The group is scheduled to reconvene on December 1 for further discussions.
Despite the de-escalation in oil markets, tensions between Israel and Iran remain high.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei warned on Monday that Iran would use all available tools in response to Israels latest military actions.
